The Forest Projects Plan (Phase 1) is a 25,529-acre, landscape-scale forest stand and wildlife habitat improvement project located primarily within the upper Mokelumne River watershed on Forest Service lands. The project aims to reduce the risk of high-intensity, large-scale wildfires, improve forest health, and protect critical wildlife habitat and other natural resources.
This project effort represents Phase 1 of a two-phased approach. Phase 1 focuses on non-commercial forest management activities—primarily reducing ladder fuels—within the Amador Ranger District of the Eldorado National Forest. Planned treatments include mechanical fuels reduction (mastication and pruning), hand thinning, prescribed burning, aspen restoration, and hazard tree removal.
The project builds on collaborative planning and prioritization efforts by the Upper Mokelumne River Watershed Authority, the Forest Service, and the Amador-Calaveras Consensus Group, utilizing Strategic Landscape Prioritization GIS Mapping Tool to identify and prioritize treatment areas within this high-risk region along the Highway 88 corridor.
JNA Consulting served as the lead biologist in the preparation of biological resource documentation that supported the Forest Service’s National Environmental Policy Act Decision Memo. Key deliverables included:
- Biological assessments for federally listed species under the ESA
- Biological evaluations for Forest Service Sensitive Species
- Riparian Conservation Objectives Evaluation
- Management Indicator Species Report
- Invasive Species Risk Assessment
- Migratory Landbird Impact Assessment
JNA Consulting is currently partnering with Stantec in preparing biological resources documentation for implementation of Phase 2 of the project (called the Mokelumne Amador Calaveras Forest Health and Resilience Project). Phase 2, which will encompass up to 246,838 acres, will expand the project footprint to the Stanislaus National Forest (Calaveras Ranger District) and will include additional treatments, such as commercial thinning.