Rock Creek Wildfire Resilience Project

The Rock Creek Wildfire Resilience Project is a strategic initiative developed in collaboration between the Smith River Alliance and the Del Norte Fire Safe Council, aimed at bolstering wildfire resilience within the Rock Creek and Boulder Creek communities. Thanks to generous funding from the Coastal Conservancy, this project combines wildfire protection efforts with environmental enhancement to improve river and forest health.

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Objectives:

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• Wildfire Protection: Create up to 300 feet of Defensible Space around structures on a combined 52 acres across the Rock Creek and Boulder Creek communities to safeguard residents and properties from wildfire threats.

• Forest Health Enhancement: Undertake understory pile burning on 68 acres to clear undergrowth and prepare the area for future prescribed burning, aimed at enhancing forest ecosystems and resilience.

• Fuel Break Expansion: Expand and re-treat shaded fuel breaks over 68 acres of dense forest to the south. This effort will utilize existing old skid roads to form a continuous fire break, facilitating the introduction of controlled burns to improve forest health and community safety.

 

Key Achievements and Future Plans:

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• Equipment Acquisition: The project funding has facilitated the acquisition of a new chipper for the Del Norte Fire Safe Council, enhancing our capacity for effective forest management and fire prevention.

• Current Status: Active development of defensible spaces has commenced, prioritizing immediate risk reduction for residents.

• Scheduled Activities: Plans for initiating understory burning are set, with execution dependent on optimal fuel conditions and weather alignment to ensure safe and effective fire management.

 

Impact:

 

This project is expected to significantly increase wildfire resilience, protect community infrastructures, and foster healthier forest and river ecosystems, thereby securing long-term environmental and social benefits for the Rock Creek and Boulder Creek areas.