Sonora, California, June 16, 2015 – The Stanislaus National Forest will be hosting a workshop on July 8th to review potential alternatives for the reforestation project, within the Rim Fire area.  “Sixty-five comments were received during our 45-day scoping period which ended on April 13th,” said Jeanne Higgins, Forest Supervisor, Stanislaus National Forest. “Now our goal is to provide the community an opportunity to review the draft alternatives that were developed to address the concerns that were raised. These alternatives will be analyzed in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), which is expected to be available for review in the fall.”

“We encourage continued engagement in the process,” said Higgins. “If you who have an interest in how the landscapes burned by the Rim Fire are restored, it’s important for you to attend.”

While considering the alternatives, it is vital to note the reasons for initiating the reforestation project. Primary project goals include:
 Return a mixed conifer forest to 30,065 acres
 Restore old forest for wildlife habitat and connectivity
 Reduce hazardous fuels for future fire resiliency
 Eradicate noxious weeds

The workshop is open to anyone who would like to attend. Please RSVP your intention to participate to gdempsey@fs.fed.us by July 1st, so pre-workshop materials can be sent in advance. The meeting will be held at the Forest Supervisor’s Office at 19777 Greenley Road in Sonora, CA, on July 8th, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

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The mission of the U.S. Forest Service, part U.S. Department of Agriculture, is to sustain the health, diversity and productivity of the nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to state and private landowners, and maintains the largest forestry research organization in the world. Public lands the Forest Service manages contribute more than $13 billion to the economy each year through visitor spending alone. Those same lands provide 20 percent of the nation’s clean water supply, a value estimated at $7.2 billion per year. The agency has either a direct or indirect role in stewardship of about 80 percent of the
850 million forested acres within the U.S., of which 100 million acres are urban forests where most
Americans live.
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