Updated information added on 1/7/16

Outline for Tree Mortality Workshop #2 – (Revision 3, 1/4/16)

Mariposa County Tree Mortality Disaster Committee

1.    General

           a.     Date:  Saturday, January 23, 2016

           b.     Venue:  Sequoia Room, Mariposa County Fairgrounds

           c.      Time: 9 a.m. - 12 noon

           d.     Duration: 3 hours

2.    Part I -- Problem Description [1 hr] 

           a.     View at the state and county level [30 min] – Frank Bigelow, CAL FIRE.

                                                    i.     Description of California pandemic with maps

                                                  ii.     Description of county pandemic with maps, and maps showing current loss from flyovers

                                                 iii.     Total projected tree loss in Mariposa County

                                                 iv.     LE-100 inspection results from CAL FIRE – hazard trees in the defensible space/viewscape – required landowner response

                                                   v.     Hazard trees endangering public and private right-of-ways – CalTrans, County Public Works, and landowner response

                                                 vi.     Hazard trees endangering the power grid  - PG & E response

           b.     Some Beetle Science [30 min] – Len Neilson, introducing a new CAL FIRE video

                                                    i.     Species

                                                  ii.     Life cycle

                                                 iii.     How they kill

                                                 iv.     How they communicate

                                                   v.     How they travel

                                                 vi.     Getting rid of them – what works and what doesn’t work

3.    Part 2 -- Dealing with Dead Trees [1 hr]

                                                    i.     Treatment scenarios [30 min].  Dave Mecchi, John Schroeder, MCRCD. 

This section will acquaint attendees with the techniques and equipment used in two basic situations.  The first describes a small (5 -10 acres) parcel with a few infested trees near dwellings and other structures.  The second describes a full logging operation on a much larger piece of unimproved property.  The two cases represent the two ends of a spectrum of complexity… In reality there will be many different cases in between.  Finally the operations under way by PG & E to clear dead trees from power line right of ways will be described.  Images will be displayed showing the various kinds of equipment and how they will be employed in various situations. Attendees will be encouraged to use licensed, trained, qualified contractors due to the dangers and potential liabilities involved with tree work.  DYIs will be cautioned not to exceed their level of experience. 

                                                  ii.     Hazard situations Around Structures – Small area, single parcel

                                1.     Felling Scenarios

                                2.     Slash Disposal Options

                                3.     What to do with the logs

                                4.     Equipment and its use

                                5.     Simple case study – 25 trees threatening three structures – basic plan and costs

                                                 iii.     Unimproved landscape – full logging operations

                                1.     Equipment and its use

                                2.     Opportunities for cost recovery – selling or bartering the harvested material

                                3.     State regulations for timber harvesting:  using exemptions obtained from CAL FIRE when selling or bartering

                                4.     Aggregating projects


4.     Part 3 – Resources [ 30 minutes]

           a.     Contractor resources [15 min] Len Neilson, CAL FIRE

                                                    i.     RPFs  (Registered Professional Foresters)

                                                  ii.     LTOs (Licensed Timber Operators

                                                 iii.     Other licensed contractors

           b.     CALFIRE, NRCS Resources (CFIP, EQIP, other) [15 min] Len Neilson, CAL FIRE, Robyn Smith, NRCS

           c.      County Office of Emergency Services

5.    Handouts

           a.     USFS Document on the bark beetle Inventory on hand, supplemented by more from USFS as needed.  (MCRCD will request.)

           b.     Selected CAL FIRE Tree Notes CAL FIRE will provide

           c.      3-up display of slides used in presentations 50 copies will be provided by MCRCD for those attendees not having internet access.  For those who do, they will be encouraged to access the presentations online, either in written form or in video form on YouTube.

6.    Attendee Survey TBD.  Good opportunity to gather more data.

           a.     ID and demographic info

           b.     Feedback on the workshop

           c.      Quick picture on attendee’s tree mortality situation

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The Mariposa County Tree Mortality Disaster Committee will host their second Tree Mortality Workshop on Saturday, January 23, 2016. The workshop will be held from 9 a.m. - 12 noon at the Mariposa County Fairgrounds in Building A (Sequoia Hall).

Speakers will include:

Frank Bigelow, CAL FIRE Pre-Fire Engineer

Len Nielson, CAL FIRE Unit Forester

David Mecchi, Chair, Mariposa County RCD Board of Directors

John Schroeder, Chair, RCD Forestry/Fuels Management Committee

Robyn Smith, District Conservationist, USDA NRCS

Don Florence, Mariposa County Office of Emergency Services

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