Tahoe National Forest has issued the record of decision (ROD) for its North Yuba Landscape Resilience Project. The forest and partners will now begin implementing the 275,000-acre vegetation and fuels management project in the North Yuba watershed over the next 15 to 20 years. The project aims to improve forest health, protect communities and reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire within the project area.
Tahoe National Supervisor Eli Ilano signed the North Yuba Landscape Resilience Project record of decision today in the Sierra County board chambers in Downieville, Calif. Community members and North Yuba Forest Partnership members commemorated the accomplishment.
“After several years of planning for this project and working toward signing a decision, I would like to credit the hard work of Forest Service staff and our partners for helping us get here,” said Tahoe National Forest Supervisor Eli Ilano. “Because of the dedication of individuals that have come together with a common goal, we are now able to move forward with the work so desperately needed on the North Yuba Landscape.”
The ROD is the last step in the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) environmental impact statement process before a federal agency may implement a project. Significant public outreach including multiple public comment periods was completed during the NEPA process for the NYLRP, which began in 2021. Planning for the project began in 2018.
The North Yuba Landscape was selected for investment in 2022 as part of the Forest Service’s Wildfire Crisis Strategy and has received $160 million of federal funding to implement wildfire risk reduction work in the watershed. In addition, partners that comprise the North Yuba Forest Partnership have contributed additional funding and resources to increase the pace and scale of this forest health work. The landscape includes substantial forest habitat, is an important source of water to downstream users, supports high biodiversity, offers excellent opportunities for recreation and is home to the communities of Camptonville, Downieville and Sierra City.
Learn more about the NYLRP by visiting https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/tahoe/home/?cid=FSEPRD1098812.