Forest thinning is proposed on about 300 acres near McClure Mountain to protect communications equipment on the peak.
McClure Mountain, south of Twisp, is the primary communications hub for the majority of emergency and non-emergency communication within the Methow Valley, and has been identified as critical communications infrastructure by the Methow Valley Long Term Recovery Group.
The Methow Valley Ranger District is proposing 300 acres of thinning and prescribed burning treatments to protect the communications site.
The district is seeking input on a proposal to reduce ladder fuels by thinning, piling and burning them.
After decades of fire suppression, smaller trees and shrubs have grown in around large older trees, increasing the risk of crown fires that cannot be effectively suppressed by ground resources, according to information from the U.S. Forest Service.
In addition to ladder fuels, insects and disease have killed or stressed trees near McClure Mountain, increasing the potential for extreme fire behavior.
Forest conditions near McClure Mountain put the communications infrastructure at risk, and create concerns for firefighter safety and wildlife habitat, according to the Forest Service.
Written comments on the proposed project can be sent to Nick Pieper, Methow Valley Ranger District, 24 West Chewuch Road, Winthrop, WA 98862, or email npieper@fs.fed.us.
For more information about the project contact Pieper at 996-4069.
