U.S. Forest Service may face challenges salvage logging August Complex Fire footprint in Mendocino National Forest

MENDOCINO Co., 10/25/21 — The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) is planning a restoration project on just over 2,000 of the 600,000 acres of the Mendocino National Forest that was burned in the August Complex fires last year. But whether the project will actually take place remains to be seen.

The Plaskett-Keller August Complex Phase 1 project involves cutting down the dead and dying trees on 2,163 acres in order to reduce the hazard posed by falling trees, mostly near roadways; reduce the risk of wildfire by reducing the amount of fuels, or flammable material, in the forest; recover what economic value is possible from the sale of the fire-injured timber; and study the short- and long-term impacts of salvage logging. But whether the Forest Service can do any of that hinges on whether the agency is able to attract licensed timber operators to do the work.