Student fence menders help Rim Fire recovery

 

 

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Sonora, Calif., July 23, 2014. When the Rim Fire burned 400 square miles in and around the Stanislaus National Forest (STF) last year it also burned on land designated as allotments for cattle grazing.

The burn area impacted 10 active grazing allotments on the Groveland Ranger District, and five active grazing allotments on the Mi Wok Ranger District; totaling approximately 182,238 acres within the fire perimeter and 74,498 acres adjacent to the southeastern edge of the fire perimeter.

“Fences, gates, cattle guards and troughs located within the fire perimeter were impacted to various degrees by the fire and fire suppression efforts,” said the Forest’s Range Management Specialist, Susan Forbes.

Some of that damage is being repaired this summer thanks to efforts by Youth Conservation Corps and Student Conservation Association members.

Working with forest staff and local ranchers, the groups are replacing damaged or destroyed fences with new posts and wire supplied by the Forest Service.

“Assisting the Stanislaus National Forest in the Rim Fire Recovery effort was a top priority for the Student Conservation Association,” said Jay Watson, Regional Vice President for SCA.  “Our team is spending eight weeks on the forest following eight months in the California Desert on restoration projects.  They are working very hard and are really enjoying their time on the forest.”

$525,000 dollars have been ear-marked for repairing 30 miles of fencing, to ensure that grazing cattle remain within prescribed boundaries.  Twelve water troughs will also be purchased.

Five Youth Conservation Corps students from Tioga High School in Groveland will be staging equipment for the project.  The Student Conservation Corps will provide additional workers to build interior fence lines near cattle allotments.

One of the goals of the Groveland Ranger District Youth Conservation Corps is to engage local high school students in natural resource management through hands-on experiences with a wide variety of programs.

“These students participate in projects and field trips with resource experts to showcase various career opportunities available within the U.S. Forest Service,” said Gary “Dusty” Vaughn, Recreation Specialist for the STF.  “We encourage them to pursue degrees in natural resource management.”

Two crews from the California Conservation Corps (CCC) will spend two months in the woods rebuilding 13 miles of fence along the border with Yosemite National Park. National Park Service sawyers and foresters will join the CCC to drop hazardous trees along the proposed fence line.  

The Forest Service supports responsible, supervised livestock grazing on National Forest System lands. It provides a valuable resource to the livestock owners as well as the American people. As a multiple use agency, interested in meeting the diverse needs of the public, the Forest Service is ensuring that the ranching infrastructure, damaged by the Rim Fire, is not overlooked in the recovery process.