Update on the Lava Ranch Wildland Fuel Reduction Project
Posted April 13, 2010
I hope all property owners have had a good winter season and, like me, are looking forward to spring. We still have a few signs of winter around Lava, like snow on the mountain, but the south slopes are starting to have a hint of green were they have bared off. The fuel reduction project is in the final stages. The trees and brush along High Country and High Pine roads have been removed. We have also removed the fuel from High Country road down Big Bear road to Deer Haven turnout. The shaded fuel break down through the common area, from the heliport north down to Martin Road has also been completed. The project has gone very well and I know it will be of a great benefit when a fire occurs. We still have some of the chips left to haul away. We have two piles, one on High Country road and one on Martin Road. We will complete this just as soon as the snow melts and the roads dry out. We still have a little cleanup to do when the snow is gone along the roads. The roads are pretty muddy at this time and we hope everyone will stay off of them until they dry out. Then any repairs which are needed can be completed. The loggers have left for now and are just waiting for things to melt and dry out.
We wish to give a special thank you, to the property owners who have cooperated with us in allowing the removal of fuels from their properties. This has greatly helped the overall project to be a success. We have removed trees which were affected by mistletoe disease and beetles and we hope in a short period of time you will all see a healthier forest in the areas where the work has been completed. We also would like to thank the Lava Ranch POA board for their help and encouragement in protecting the development. I will let you know when we will be back to haul the chips out and complete the final touches on the roads.
I hope we can keep the chipper busy this summer removing more of the fuel which creates a hazard for everyone. We are also going to invite the fire departments from Lava, McCammon, Arimo, and Downey to come up on site and view the work which has been completed this summer. This way they will know where they can defend the development in case of a fire. Thanks for all your cooperation and help. I hope you are please with what we have tried to do to help you protect your beautiful investments in the Lava Ranch. We all need to do are part to make sure we can enjoy Lava Ranch of many more years to come. If I can help in anyway please contact me and I will do what I can. I am looking forward to seeing everyone this summer. Gordon
Gordon L. Gillman
Weekly update on Lava Ranch
Shaded Fuel Break
March 4, 2010
I spoke with Gordon Gillman and received the following update on the shaded
fuel break.
The work on the shaded fuel break has proceeded to the point that he
logs have been removed and the contractor is working on grinding the slash
and removing chips. There is a lot of snow in the slash piles which raises
the moisture content and makes the chips to heavy to transport efficiently.
The contractor is planning to grind and stockpile the wood chips now and
transport them out later. Workers will be back, when weather permits, to
finish the clean up along the roads and perform touch up of the common area
along Martin. Three Rivers would like to thank everyone involved in this
project. Gordon Gillman stated what a pleasure it has been dealing with the
members of Lava Ranch and how much he looks forward to working with the
membership in the future. Trucks will begin to remove the piles of chips
when weather permits so please be on the lookout when traveling the roads
this spring and late winter. There should be signs indicating the presence
of trucks but expect to see them any time the roads are passable. Because
the work now centers around weather it will be difficult to anticipate the
amount of activity that will be occurring at any point in the upcoming
weeks. From this point until completion the best practice is to expect to
see work proceeding on the project whenever you are traveling within the
project boundaries or on Smith Canyon Road. Exercise caution and expect the
unexpected. We look forward to seeing everyone for a long time to come.
Respectfully
Ed Allred.
Weekly update on Lava Ranch
Shaded Fuel Break
February 11, 2010
As of today February 11th we are taking out the last load of logs from the project. We still have work to do with the chipping of the slash piles and when the snow is gone we will need to have Wilcox come back and do some clean up and cutting of the brush along the roads which at the present time is under about 3 feet of snow. They will be chipping the slash piles next week if they can get their chipper and chip truck to the piles. They think they will need about two weeks to complete the chipping and then they should be out of the area until the snow melts so they can come back and clean things up.
I have been pleased with their work and on the roads and also on the private property. They have gone to great lengths in talking with the property owners and trying to meet their needs. We will still have to go up on the common ground and do a little work for erosion control and remove the log skid trail the best we can. We do have a plan which we will be working on after the snow is gone.
I would hope some time in the spring we could have a board meeting and walk the common area and see first hand what has been completed. I think the board will be very pleased with the work and the minimal impact that has occurred in doing this shaded fuel type of project.
Big Bear is plowed to Deer Haven and the rest of Big Bear will be plowed some time next week. This should allow truck to go up to the slash pile on High Country for chipping. If you have any questions or concerns please call me and I will try to answer those concerns. Thanks again for all your support and the support of the Board. It has been an important project to have this close to completion. I hope it will benefit the property owners for many years to come. I would like to give a special thanks to the private property owners who allowed us to remove some of the fuel from their property. Each one has been wonderful to work with. We also had some property owners who where adjacent to the lots we were working on and they allowed us to cross their property to remove the trees which were on the steep slopes. Thanks to everyone!
-Gordon Gillman
Weekly update on Lava Ranch
Shaded Fuel Break
January 21 to 28, 2010
All seems to be going as planned for this past week if you don't consider a mechanical break down or two. Wilcox have moved to the private lots # 197 and 192. They have a lot more snow and that has slowed the work a little. There is about 40 inches now. They are working on these two lots and things are progressing. We will have some clean up work to do when the snow is gone but they are also working to remove the limbs on the trees which are left standing, up to a hight of 8 feet. This will remove the ladder fuel for a fire. They are still moving trucks down the very start of Martin on to Wolverine but we haven't had any problems yet. Most of the owners are parking down at the well or by the pond, and driving their snowcats or snowmobiles up the road. It looks like we will need about two more weeks to finish cutting, but they will still have chip trucks moving in the area as clean up begins. They could be on Big Bear Road to finish the road right of way by end of next week or the first of the following week.
-Gordon
Weekly update on Lava Ranch
Shaded Fuel Break
January 13 to 21th 2010
Thanks for your reply to my email about adding the top of Big Bear road to the work to be done on Lava Ranch. Because Big Bear road is a major fire exit route and because it is a continuation of the work on High Pine and High Country Roads, we can include it in the project. It will also tie in nicely with the work already completed on Big Bear Road.
The work this week is moving ahead on the common property. We had Rich O’quinn from the Idaho Department of Lands come by this week and talked with the loggers, He viewed the project on the Martin Road and made a few suggestions for the loggers, All seems to be going well and the common area is 90% completed. The Loggers are moving over to the Macbeth property Lot # 192 and that should take them the rest of this week and maybe through Tuesday next week. Then they should move to Lot # 197 Titensor’s property during next week. We have about 36 inches o f snow on top and it is snowing. We flagged the road right of way at the top of Big Bear and we will finish doing the rest of the Big Bear road down to Deer Haven sometime before the loggers finish with the private property and the common property on Martin.
I will be drafting a letter to the property owners along Big Bear road to inform them of what we are and will be doing. I want them to know that we will only be doing the road right of way and not any of their property. I will send you a copy of the letter which I will send to those owners so you will know what they received from me. This will just keep everyone informed about what is going on with the project and the reasons for doing the roads. Thanks for all you have done to help us with this very important fire preventative work.
-Gordon
Weekly update on Lava Ranch
Shaded Fuel Break
January 6 to 14th 2010
This has been a busy week at Lava Ranch. I have been trying to find some property owners who would be willing to allow us to develop a shaded fuel break on their property to replace the 10 acres we lost last week. So far I have not found anyone who wanted to get involved. I did contact Kevin Higley again to see if he possibly would have a change of mind but he said no at this time. I also contacted John Price Lot # 269 and he was somewhat interested but as of yet he has not committed. Also Robert Poulson Lot # 273 was contacted and I have not heard a word from him as well. I have had a few who called and said they were not interested at this time. So are next best options is to do the road right of way from the top of Big Bear Road at the intersection of Big Bear and High Country Road down to the point where Big Bear intersects Deer Haven Circle. I have talked to Wilcox logging and they said that would work for them. We would have them do the same thing on Big Bear as they have done on High Country and High Pine roads. This will not affect any private property. If you know of someone who is will to allow us to work on their private property and they can find their corners in the snow please let me know. Or if you have some other suggestions for us, I would be happy to hear from you or the board members. If you wanted us to move ahead on the Big Bear road we could flag it on Tuesday next week.. So please let me know.
The work on the common area is progressing very well. They are hauling logs down Martin and on to Wolverine Pass road at this time. We have not had any problems so far. The roads are marked with signs, telling owners that they are logging in the area, and that log trucks are on the road. I have been on site everyday and I have walked the entire project a couple of times and I have been very pleased with what they have done so far. They have logged about 50 percent of the common area so far. The top end, as you know is very steep and we may have to cut that area by hand. So far we are on schedule.
They have not yet started on the MacBeth, or Titensor properties yet but that could happen in a week or so. We were able to mark the boundary between Titensors and J. Avery property yesterday so we can move ahead on Jeff Titensor lot as soon as the loggers get to that point.
We did have Greg Mann from the BLM and Keith Birch from IDL come up and view the work and they were both very pleased with what has been done on the roads and what is being completed on the common ground. If you have any question please call or email me.
- Gordon
Weekly update on Lava Ranch
Shaded Fuel Break
December 30 to January 6th 2010
We are again working on the shaded fuel break on Lava Ranch. We started moving the logs from up on High Country Road and the logging trucks are making three trips each day to the mill in Ovid Idaho. The trucks are using Big Bear road and then going down the Smith Canyon Road to Lava. The loggers are also finishing up on the High Country road so those owners who are going up on Big Bear and High Country road should do so with caution. The High Country road could have some limbs and such on the road until they are finished which should be sometime next week. We have about 20 inches of snow on the top at this time.
The Loggers have also moved down on to Martin road about 1/8 of a mile from Wolverine Pass road. They have cut an area to stack the logs and are busy working on the common area for the shaded fuel break. Again those who might use Martin Road should use caution traveling up and down Martin road at this point. We had to change one private owners property from the plan because they wanted to do something different with the trees which were cut. So we are looking for two owners who might be interested in having their private property thinned with the shaded fuel break plan. We need 10 acres to replace the acres we have taken out. If you know of someone who is interested, and they can help us locate their corners so we know their property boundaries, have them contact me at 208-317-2647. If we can’t find a private owner or two, then we would consider doing the Big Bear road starting at High Country and working the road right of way just like we did on High Country and High Pine road, down Big Bear road till that portion of the contract which needs to be replace is met. Doing the Big Bear road would not include any private property and just stay within the road right of way. Things are going well and I hope we can start moving some of the logs on the common ground at Martin road some time next week. I will let you know when we will be transporting logs down Martin and Wolverine Pass road. Thanks again for all your help in keeping this project moving forward.
-Gordon