The Sierraville Fuels Reduction project will reduce the risk of catastrophic loss from wildfire while increasing the health and resilience of the ecosystem.Â
Background
Sierraville is located at the base of the Eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada Mountains where the forest gives way to the lush and fertile soils of the expansive Sierra Valley.Â
The town of Sierraville dates back to the 1860's and supplied large amounts of hay, grain and timber to the nearby mining towns of Virginia City and Carson City during the Comstock era. The project area is directly adjacent to structures and infrastructure vital to Sierraville.Â
Project Goal
The goal of this project is to restore the landscape to a more natural ecosystem by reducing the number of stems per acre along with removing ground fuels to create a sustainable and wildfire resilient ecosystem. This will be accomplished by reducing the number of trees per acre using mechanical treatments on a minimum of 500 acres.
By thinning from below and removing the smaller diameter trees and increasing spacing between the larger dominant and codominant trees, the ecosystem will be healthier and more resilient to wildfire.Â
Area Wildfire Conditions & Ecosystem
Since the early 1900's we have limited the natural occurrence of wildfire, leaving a landscape which is choked by the overwhelming amount of small diameter shade tolerant species. Forested lands around Sierraville (and throughout this project area) are overstocked and at risk to catastrophic wildfire, not unlike the recent Loyalton Complex, Dixie Fire, and the Caldor Fire.Â
Numerous similar large-scale fires have impacted communities throughout the West; the Sierraville Fuels Reduction Project hopes to spare the town of Sierraville from similar impacts.
RFP DEADLINE: Vendors, please email bids to rrummel@firesafesierracounty.org no later than 5pm PST, April 22, 2024.