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LinkedInThe USDA Forest Service in conjunction with the University of California, CAL FIRE, TSS Consultants and other partners have implemented a series of hazardous fuels treatment demonstrations (HFTD's). Technology deployed at each demonstration ranged from manual hand treatments to steep terrain excavators and demonstrate innovative equipment and techniques that might be currently underutilized.
Treatments included a week of continuous operation and monitoring of effectiveness, efficiency, cost and resource impacts:
- Objectives and Outcomes
- Final Reports and Findings
- Treatment Options & Technology
- Project Collaborators
Objectives and Outcomes
The primary objective of these three demonstrations was to raise awareness about different hazardous fuel treatment alternatives and provide up-to-date information regarding resource impacts, efficiencies and cost of fuels treatment. Short-term outcomes include improved ability of government agencies and partners to assess, plan and budget for future fuels treatment projects, heightened collaborator awareness about equipment options and improved ability of local contractors to make informed business decisions about which equipment to buy or lease. Long-term project outcomes include improved wildland and watershed health, enhanced ability to defend communities and other infrastructure from wildfires, mitigation of air emissions impacts (including GHG releases during wildfires), improved reduction in hazardous fuel accumulation, reduced site impacts, potential increase in acres treated, and local job retention.
Vendors continue to refine the design of vegetation treatment systems to reduce high fire hazard material and resource impacts. These include promising technologies that rearrange excess vegetation using mastication equipment. Demonstrations have focused on conventional and innovative technologies to address hazardous fuel treatment on flat and steep terrain (30% plus slope).
Final Reports
Posted below are links to the three separate fuels treatment studies. These studies were focused on deploying both conventional and innovative techniques and equipment across a variety of vegetation types and topography.