Fuels Management

Fuels manangement is the manipulation of vegetation to reduce hazardous fuel and restore ecosystem health. Current fuels management is done in accordance with the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy. The Strategy evolved from the National Fire Plan, which was initiated in 2001 and accelerated fuels management programs on all federal wildlands.

Fuels management involves many different kinds of treatment and many techniques may be used within a single large fuelbreak.

There are four major fuelbreaks at Point Reyes National Seashore:

Highway One, Bolinas Ridge, Limantour Road, and Bayview Fire Road which are ongoing, multi-year, multi-unit management areas.

There are two main categories of treatment: prescribed fire and mechanical treatment.

 

Prescribed Fire at Drakes Beach

NPS Photo

Prescribed Fire

Prescribed burns are sometimes conducted in different areas of the park. Due to the proximity of developed areas, all prescribed fires are designed to be completed within a single day. Each burn unit is approximately 100 acres or less.

 

Thinning eucalyptus along Highway 1

NPS Photo

Mechanical Treatment

Chainsaws, mowers, weed wackers, and pruning shears are common fuel reduction tools. Chippers are used to reduce the size of the larger woody debris so that the debris can more readily be used as mulch or hauled to a composting station.