Sonora, CA — Several groups and Tuolumne County are teaming up to protect public lands, and there is one way the public can help.
The county has partnered with the Stanislaus National Forest, the Yosemite Stanislaus Solutions Forest Collaborative, and the Tuolumne River Trust to work together to reduce fire fuels on public lands. A vital step in enhancing wildfire resilience, according to the county. Private contractors are also being hired to survey natural resources for protection during the fuel treatment process, as part of the larger “Social and Ecological Resilience Across the Landscape” (SERAL) project. These groups ask that those who encounter flagging in the forest, not damage or remove them, and provide these reasons:
This flagging is implemented using funding derived from taxpayer dollars.
In the event that flagging is damaged or removed, it requires our contractors to re-survey the sites and replace the flagging.
Re-surveying the sites results in taxpayers paying double to complete the work required to prepare for the implementation of these forest health projects.
Re-surveying the sites can potentially delay the completion of these important projects.
“We value our partnerships, which give us the opportunity to implement crucial projects that enhance the safety of our communities. We thank our residents for their assistance in ensuring these projects stay on schedule so we may provide a safer and more resilient landscape in Tuolumne County,” noted county officials.