On Wednesday, the USDA Forest Service announced final approval of the French Meadows Restoration Project, a forest health project designed to reduce wildfire risk in a critical Placer County watershed by clearing underbrush, thinning small trees, restoring meadows, clearing biomass for use in renewable energy facilities, performing prescribed burns, and reforestation activities.
Ultimately, the partnership, which includes the USFS, Placer County, the Sierra Nevada Conservancy, the Placer County Water Agency, The Nature Conservancy, UC Merced Sierra Nevada Research Institute, and the American River Conservancy, hopes to increase forest resilience in the 30,000 acre project area to stressors like wildfire, insect and disease and climate change, while improving habitat, water supply and other vital resources. Work on the project is expected to begin in May or June of 2019 as weather permits.