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Thomas Creek Forest Health

County: Lake

Primary Resource Concern Addressed: Fire management - Wildfire hazard from biomass accumulation

Project Description
The Thomas Creek landscape covers 240,000 acres where private landowners and agencies are working across ownership boundaries to promote forest health and fire resiliency.  This unique landscape contains extensive stands of old legacy ponderosa pine intermixed with aspen and meadows, with greater sage grouse focal habitat adjacent to the north and east. The landscape is at a severe risk of uncharacteristically intense disturbance due to heavy fuel loading and stand densities which would result in loss of old legacy ponderosa pine and greater sage grouse focal habitat.  USDA and its partners will use project funding for forest health treatments through commercial harvest, small tree thinning, and slash treatments on federal and private lands.

Conservation Practices Offered

  • Forest Stand Improvement (666)
  • Brush Management (314)
  • Woody Residue Treatment (384)
  • Fuel Break (383)
  • Firebreak (394)
  • Tree/Shrub Establishment (612)
  • Tree/Shrub Site Preparation (490)
  • Access Control (472)
  • Access Road (560)
  • Critical Area Planting (342)
  • Prescribed Burning (338)
  • Riparian Forest Buffer (391)
  • Road/Trail/Landing Closure and Treatment (654)
  • Stream Crossing (578)
  • Herbaceous Weed Treatment (315)

Project Partners

  • Oregon Department of Forestry
  • US Forest Service
  • Lake County Umbrellas Watershed Council
  • Klamath Lake Forest Health Partnership
  • OSU Extension
  • NRCS Oregon
  • Private landowners

Local EQIP Ranking Questions
NRCS uses these questions to evaluate eligible applications for this project and to prioritize applications for potential funding. State and national ranking questions also apply. See more information on the EQIP program page.

Screening Questions

  1. Does the assessed practice schedule intersect the boundary of a selected and active JCLRP project?
    (i.e.: The planned project is within the Joint Chiefs project area). 
  2. The planned project is within the Joint Chiefs project area and greater than 4 miles from any existing forestry treatment areas. 
  3. The planned project is outside of the Joint Chiefs project area.

Ranking Questions

  1. What is the distance to National Forest lands that have been or will be treated for fuels reduction from the NIPF Project area for pre-commercial thinning?
    a. The project area adjacent to or within one half mile of National Forest lands.
    b. The project area within one half to one mile of National Forest lands.
    c. The project area within one to three miles of National Forest lands.
    d. The project area greater than three miles of National Forest lands.
  2. Will the project area have slash treatment of either piling and burning or chipping and removal?
  3. Will the project area have slash treatment of lopping and scattering?
  4. Will the project area have understory brush removed to reduce wildfire risk?