“MDF Begins Historic Habitat Improvement Project in Gasoline Alley”
Following the fatal “Frog Fire” in the Modoc National Forest of California in 2015 in which a Wildland firefighter was trapped and killed in the line of duty. The USFS and Mule Deer Foundation are planning a habitat improvement project addressing 12,000 acres of fire fuels reduction and Mule Deer habitat improvement.
Project Scope
MDF and the Modoc NF are working together to fulfill requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) with implementation of the Project beginning in 2025. Project implementation will span several years, and will consist of:
- fuels reduction – commercial and pre-commercial thinning/mastication
- aspen enhancements
- meadow enhancements
- guzzler installation
- additional resource surveys.
Over 12,000 acres of Forest Service land containing a California state big game refuge and migration corridors will be included. Much of the project is within a Wildland Urban Interface area (WUI), designated to protect major interstate communications and powerlines. A WUI is the zone where structures and other human development meet or intermingle with undeveloped wild-land fuel.
Gasoline Alley
In 2015 during the Frog Fire in this area Black Hills National Forest, Engine Captain David “Dave” Ruhl was trapped and killed while scouting on foot during the initial attack on the Frog Fire on the Modoc National Forest. One of the contributing factors to this Firefighters death was the unique and difficult terrain in the area.
“The Modoc National Forest (Modoc) is a land of contrasts—an ecologically diverse landscape ranging from timbered mountains to high desert plateaus. This rugged landscape was formed by an expansive prehistoric lava flow. The area is marked with areas of rough, broken lava rock ridges, surrounded by deep basins. These “reefs” of boulders rise 10 to 20 feet high, limiting visibility and making walking over them deceptively difficult.” – USFS report on Frog Fire.
The area is as difficult for a man to passthrough as it is for wildlife. The USFS named this area “Gasoline Alley” due to the tremendous amount of wild fire fuel in the area. The landscape holds ponderosa pine, scattered juniper, manzanita, bitter-brush, and native grasses.
What MDF is doing for the Area:
MDF project purpose is to clear the entire landscape for future treatments. We will involve commercial timber sales, mastication, small tree clearing, cut stack skid work, and everything in between. We are talking aspen treatment, conifer encroachments, a full landscape level restoration. MDF is going to take this neglected landscape and return it to mule deer habitat.
While working in conjunction with the designated refuge area for mule deer. Our work will create an oasis of rich habitat for migrating deer. Helping mature bucks reach their full potential through increased access to prime native calories while remaining open to regulated hunting.
MDF Biologist Zack Craft had this to say,
“This project is special to the local community. They care deeply about both responsible wildfire management as well as quality habitat for wild species. This project contains multiple data supported, known migration corridors for the CA deer herd and its completion will make an immediate impact to hunters and wildlife viewers alike.”
Disclaimer : The Mule Deer Foundation and U.S. Forest Service will utilize CAT 6 wildlife CE to improve Mule Deer and other wildlife habitat within the Long Bell Game Refuge, Big valley Ranger District.
Thank you USFS for letting MDF work on this project with you!
Good luck this fall. Send us your pictures or stories from the field at [email protected] to be featured on our website or in our magazine. If this article, or any of our articles helped you become a better conservation steward, join the mule deer foundation. Click here to join: https://muledeer.org/product-category/membership/
Trevor J Hubbs https://www.instagram.com/trevorhubbs/
Trevor is the Communications Manager for the Mule deer Foundation. He grew up hunting and fishing the eastern edge of the Ozark mountains for quail, ducks, and bucks. Trevor is a contributor for “Fur, Fish, and Game”, Lethal Minds Journal, Strung Magazine, and Shooting Sportsman among others.
