In 2021, the Amador Resource Conservation District (RCD) was awarded funding from the CAL FIRE Forest Health Grant Program to implement fuel load reduction activities in the Jackson Creek Watershed. This program funds projects that improve the resilience of California’s forest and communities from the effects of wildfire. The Jackson Creek Forest Health project was funded specifically to implement three forest health and fuel-load reduction tools on private land within the Jackson Creek watershed. These three tools are 1) prescribed grazing, 2) mastication, and 3) prescribed fire. Over the next three years, the Amador RCD will conduct community outreach and solicit landowner engagement to implement these three fuel load reduction treatments and build community support for the on-going implementation of these treatments to sustain their benefits. In the coming months, the Amador RCD will be hosting a series of workshops to provide additional information about the project, solicit feedback from landowners and answer any questions about the project. 
 
FAQs: 

• What is fuel load reduction? Fuel refers to vegetation that contributes to the threat of wildfire. These activities will minimize that risk by removing the vegetation that acts as fuel. 
• What is prescribed grazing? Prescribed grazing is the targeted use of sheep and goats who eat brush reducing fuel load. 
• What is mastication? Mastication is the use of heavy machinery to mulch vegetation in place. 
• What is prescribed fire? Prescribed fire is the intentional use of fire in a safe way to protect landscapes from the possibility of an intense, much hotter and more dangerous fire in the future. 

 
PROJECT POINTS:

• Treatments will be provided completely free of cost to participating landowners 
• Amador RCD will be responsible for contracting and organizing all fuel load reduction treatments
• Landowners will need to sign an initial Right of Entry for planning purposes. Treatments will only begin once a landowner has signed an additional Right of Entry.
• Treatments will be chosen based on prescriptions created by a Registered Professional Forester or Certified Range Manager and with final approval by landowner
• Treatments (apart from prescribed grazing) will only occur when it is deemed that there is limited fire threat, such out of fire season. No work will occur on Red Flag Days.
• Properties will ultimately be selected to receive treatments based on the following criteria: A) willingness of landowner to participate, B) comparative need based on existing fuel load, and C) proximity to adjacent participating landowners for efficient implementation 
• All activities related to the project will be completed by March 2025