by Tracy Katelman and Ian Sigman
December 15, 2001

After one of the driest summers on record, the Mattole Restoration Council will be working with lower Mattole Valley residents to plan fuels reduction projects and to improve the fire safety of our neighborhoods. The MRC has hired Ian Sigman, and Tracy Katelman to undertake this effort. Ian Sigman, Chief of the Honeydew Volunteer Fire Company will be coordinating the project in the upper area, from Wilder Ridge towards Petrolia. Tracy Katelman, a Registered Professional Forester, will coordinate the project in the greater Petrolia area.

The intent of this project is to help us as a community get a better understanding of the fuel loads and potential fire risks in the lower Mattole Valley. Through a series of community meetings, as well as research into fire history and current vegetation patterns, we will develop a list of priorities for areas in the valley where fire hazard reduction should be undertaken and is supported by the landowner. Prioritization of future projects will be based on their ranking in the community, in terms of fire risk, and ecological habitat. Other criteria may include economic impact, project readiness, costs, and zoning and/or ownership.

As well, we will organize a Fire Safe Council for the lower Mattole Valley. The Lower Mattole Fire Safe Council's will work co-operatively to minimize risk from fire towards our lives, property, and important habitat. The Council will provide a forum where at least twice a year, representatives from our community service organizations and relevant agencies, (such as the California Dept. of Forestry and Fire Protection [CDF] and the Bureau of Land Management [BLM]), can meet with local residents to create and update a Lower Mattole Fire Plan. Working together, we are better able to identify and prioritize risks, so that we may limit the potential for loss in a large unmanageable fire. Groups we hope to include in this process are the Petrolia Volunteer Fire Dept., the Honeydew Volunteer Fire Co., the Mattole Valley Historical Society, the MRC, Humboldt County, and the Mattole Grange.

The initial meeting of the Lower Mattole Fire Safe Council will be on Tuesday evening, January 8th, 6:30-9 pm, at the Mattole Grange. After a series of neighborhood meetings in January, February, and March, (see the box for dates and locations), a second meeting of the Council will be held on Tuesday, June 25th, also at the Grange. At that meeting, we will present the draft results of our findings regarding community, fire risk, and ecological priorities for fuel reduction in the lower Mattole Valley. This meeting will allow time for us to all discuss that draft and make any necessary changes for the final Lower Mattole Valley Fuels Reduction Plan.

While the Fire Safe Council will address many issues, and improve coordination of our resources in general, our initial focus will be in the area of fuels reduction planning. The most effective thing most residents can do in preparation for an (overdue) unmanageable fire is to reduce the build up of dense stands of vegetation around the home. We will offer a workshop on Saturday, May 18, 2002 to demonstrate various techniques used in fuel hazard reduction, including what to do with all those thinned materials.

This project in its current phase is only a planning project. We will not be actually implementing any on-the-ground practices this winter/spring. We hope to come out of this process with a list of prioritized projects for the lower Mattole and potential sources of support to complete those projects. Landowners interested in undertaking such projects on their property are strongly encouraged to participate in their neighborhood meetings. Remember, fire does not respect property lines. It is important that we all work together to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire in our neighborhoods.

We look forward to working with you in this process. Please feel free to contact either Ian or Tracy at your convenience.

(NOTE: PLEASE PUT TRACY AND IAN'S CONTACT INFO IN A SEPARATE BOX SOMEWHERE ON THE PAGE SO IT'S EASY TO READ)



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Table of Contents for Mattole Restoration Newsletter, Issue 17 - Winter/Spring 2002