Reducing fuels on steep slopes

Tahoe National Forest’s North Yuba watershed is a highly productive water source for downstream residents and the agricultural industry across northern California. Although it is the largest continuous unburned landscape in the Central Sierras, it is also one of the most difficult forests to keep safe.

This remote and rugged location has some of the most challenging terrain in California for fighting fire. The steep slopes are also why it is difficult to reduce fuels in the area, with an almost unimaginable cost to treat the landscape in this condition. Also, the checkerboard ownership pattern of the Central Sierras requires working across public-private boundaries. Taken together, treatment is nearly impossible. But the Tahoe National Forests and partners are finding a way.