Sierra Pacific Industries to clearcut log trees up to 140 years old SW of Downieville, CA.

Google Earth Photo By David Alexander

THP 2-20-048 SIE (Mountain House THP) Sierra Pacific Industries, 218 acres; 68% clearcut, 15% commercial thin, 10% fuel break, 7% sanitation salvage, misc roadside logging. Goodyears Creek, Kanaka Creek, Luck Dog Creek, Rock Creek, St Catherine Creek (MD: T19N R10E Sec 7, 9, 31).  Winter operations, high erosion hazard, steep slopes up to 70%, landslide terrain, oversized units, 49 road drainage work sites, impaired 303.d watershed, herbicides, CA spotted owl, northern goshawk, Sierra marten, foothill yellow legged frog, 2 sensitive plant species, trees up to 140 years old. Estimated public comment deadline: 05/03/20. SUBMIT COMMENTS, VIEW THP, THP PLAN

This THP is about 16 miles NE of Nevada City, CA and about 3 miles SW of Downieville, CA at an elevation of 3,000 to 4,900 feet. Sierra Pacific Industries is planning a mostly clearcut tractor and cable logging operation on steep and unstable slopes in Douglas fir, white fir, ponderosa pine, sugar pine and incense cedar forests.  There are 2 landslide terrain sites in the THP area including; a cut bank failure above a seasonal road in section 31, and an unstable area in clearcut unit 31-1006 in section 31.  Ground based equipment is proposed for use on slopes exceeding 50% with a high erosion hazard in unit 09-0405, and construction of a landing is proposed inside a class III (intermittent) watercourse area off a wide area of an existing seasonal road inside unit 09-405.  49 road drainage sites are planned for use including rocking, dip construction, ditch cleaning, culvert repair/replacement and restoration of washed out crossings.  A Sierra marten was reported from a past sighting (unspecified), and there is a northern goshawk territory 1.77 miles from the nearest THP unit in section 7. Foothill yellow legged frogs were found at 2 locations within .13 and within .8 miles of the nearest THP unit in sections 7 and 8. Cantelow’s lewisia was found on a rock just outside of the northern boundary of unit 09-106 in section 9, and wooly violet was found along the edge of an open lava cap in unit 31-1005 in section 31.  There are 5 CA spotted owl territories within 1.3 miles of the THP area.
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