Basin Recreation's Forest Health and Fuels Reduction Project

The District, as managers of almost 2,300 acres of open space within the Snyderville Basin, began the Forest Health and Fuels Reduction Project in fall of 2020. The second and final phase of this project is to begin late August 2021. The project area consists of forested montane woodlands residing within the Wildland Urban Interface (“WUI”) area of the Summit Park, Timberline and Pinebrook neighborhoods, containing 1,500 residential structures. The area is a popular recreation hub frequented by mountain biking enthusiasts, hikers, and wildlife viewers alike. The Summit Park Open Space, which is comprised of 316 acres, is a part of the U.S. Forest Service’s Forest Legacy Program and is protected in perpetuity under a conservation easement held by the Utah Department of Natural Resources, Forestry Fire and State Lands Division (“FFSL”). Toll Canyon, a 781-acre parcel, features a two mile stretch of Toll Creek riparian area and ample opportunities to find solitude. Toll Canyon is protected by a conservation easement held by Utah Open Lands.

During the 2018 update to the Summit Park property’s Forest Stewardship Plan, FFSL detailed the immediate need for forest management, stating that the “…Douglas-fir stands are very dense due to lack of disturbance. Competition between species and resources is leading to decreased stand vigor, which will eventually lead to increased tree mortality from insects, drought, and forest diseases including dwarf mistletoe.” The update opined that the threat of disease and ultimate tree mortality will increase the catastrophic wildfire potential, but could be mitigated by implementing a planned forest thinning operation.  

Prior to the Forest Health and Fuels Reduction Project, the District implemented several small planned open space forest management treatments, plucking the “low hanging fruit” within budgetary reach while aggressively pursuing grants, internal funding sources, and building partnerships. In spring of 2020, generous grant funds, totaling $150,000, provided by the Utah Watershed Restoration Initiative (“WRI”) and the Department of Water Quality, along with the newly instated increase in collected tax revenue, allowed the District to advance with the first phase of a sizable and meaningful forest health and fuels reduction project planned for the Summit Park Open Space.

The District, with guidance from forestry experts, Summit County Council, and the District's Administrative Control Board, considered the implications of “no action”, but ultimately concluded to proceed with planned forest management. The District is providing public notice of the Summit Park Area Forest Health and Fuels Reduction project. Details of the project follow. 

The primary objective of this project is to improve forest health, protect watershed resilience, and mitigate hazardous fuels by patch-cutting, selectively thinning, and removing ladder fuels and brush. As good stewards of public land and as good neighbors to the residents of the adjacent Wildland Urban Interface (“WUI”) area, the District seeks to proactively and responsibly manage its open space with public safety, habitat restoration, and asset protection in mind. The following forest treatment guidelines have been prescribed in partnership with representatives from the Utah Department of Natural Resources, Forestry Fire and State Lands (“FFSL”), and the Wildlife Resources (“DWR”) divisions to improve forest health, increase habitat production, and reduce wildfire risk by removing hazardous fuels and modifying forest structure. While the District makes no claim that forest treatments such as this will stop a catastrophic fire from occurring, we do recognize our responsibility as land owners to manage our assets to the best of our ability for long term protection and public enjoyment. 

Oregon-based  Summitt Forests  and locally owned and operated,  Alpine Forestry , were awarded contracts to implement the planned forest prescription. The open space boundary has been marked by a professional land surveyor to ensure treatment remains on District property. The property has been surveyed for cultural resources and noxious weeds; additionally, the project has been given a limited operational period recognizing the migratory nesting birds/raptors in the area and to limit unnecessary soil disturbance due to the onset of winter conditions. All 2021 treatments shall occur late August through October, or until operations shutdown due to mud or snow. Much of the project was completed in fall 2020; fall 2021 is intended to be the final year of the project, barring future fuel break retreatments and pile burning.

Overall project treatments will (1) create a shaded fuel break along boundary properties and within selected areas for fuels reduction, (2) create small openings within densely forested and shrubby areas by using a patch-cutting technique, and (3) implement thinning operations focusing on age class variety and forest health measures to improve stand vigor. Due to steep terrain and limited access, the majority of the work will be done with hand crews. When feasible, firewood will be made available for free public pick-up. Slash piles will be burned the following year. The three techniques are detailed below:

(1) SHADED FUEL BREAK: A shaded fuel break treatment area can be 80-300ft wide, depending on slope and vegetation. A typical fuel break's width will be three times (3X) the height of the tallest nearby vegetation. Areas have been selected for their proximity to inhabited structures and terrain characteristic. A shaded fuel break is defined as the removal of all dead standing and large live “qualifying trees” (greater than 3in Diameter at Breast Height (“DBH”) but less than 10in DBH), downed woody debris, and the removal of all ladder fuels. Ladder fuels are defined as vegetation, brush, and small trees under 8ft tall. This treatment is intended to reduce hazardous fuels and create defensible space in accordance with the standards outline in the State of Utah Catastrophic Wildfire Reduction Strategy ( https://ag.utah.gov/documents/CatFireFinalReport120213.pdf ), and the National Fire Prevention Association Firewise USA program ( https://www.nfpa.org/Public-Education/Fire-causes-and-risks/Wildfire/Firewise-USA ). 

The shaded fuel break details are below:

• Removal of all dead standing and large live “qualifying trees”, all downed woody debris, and all ladder fuels.

• Isolated patches of fire-resistant shrubs and trees may be left when taller than 8ft and when brushed around base and thin bushed up 4-8ft. 

• All leave trees will have branches trimmed up 5-8ft, depending on slope. 

• All “qualifying conifers” in the fuel break less than 30ft in height will be removed unless there are no other conifers within a 30 ft radius.

• Whenever possible, large conifers, that are greater than 15in in DBH, will be isolated from other conifers. 

(2) PATCH-CUTTING: Patch-cutting creates an opening in the forest making a natural mosaic pattern. Patch-cutting involves the complete removal of all “qualifying trees” from an even-aged area of forest no larger than 2.5 acres. This method creates limited visual disturbance and promotes preservation of habitat as a whole. Patch-cuts have been selected for the additional benefit of having minimal impact on the overall biodiversity of any given forested area. Within patch-cut zones, approximately 10% of the original stands will be retained. 

(3) THINNING OPERATIONS: Thinning operations involve the removal of selected trees to open the forest canopy and promote natural regeneration with the ultimate goal of establishment of a second age class. Stands will be variably thinned, or lightly thinned depending on terrain, slope, and desired outcome. The variable method removes small patches of trees or individual trees in an irregular pattern. Trees will be selected from all size classes. Approximately one third of the volume of the stand will be harvested with this treatment method. Light thinning, on the other hand, removes the smaller trees to promote stand health and growth. Trees will be removed from the smaller size classes to favor the larger, healthier trees.

Public safety is very important to the District. As such, selected trails in Summit Park and Toll Canyon will be CLOSED while crews treat critical areas. A system-wide closure will occur in Summit Park September 1st through 15th; as treatment progresses, users should expect occasional section closures.

The public is not permitted to enter a closed area for any reason at any time. Treatments involve chainsaw, chipping, and tree-felling activities; closing trails protects crew members and trail users alike.

Check the map below for the most up-to-date trail closure information.

To assist in project transparency, public education, and understanding, Basin Recreation will hold an informational meeting and site-walk August 23rd at 5:30pm. Meet at the Over Easy trail access point at the end of Matterhorn Terrace (40.73538789720925, -111.61072338663209). The event will begin with a project discussion and Q&A session at the trailhead followed by a hike through project areas. The hike will provide an overview of treatment methods with examples from last year's work; the public is encouraged to ask questions and learn from forestry experts and project managers.

Click the link below to listen to a recording of our virtual 2020 Forest Health and Fuels Reduction Meeting.

While the District recognizes that the chosen forest management practices cannot meet everyone’s expectations, we have selected these methods in good faith, under professional guidance, and in best practice. The District welcomes your written comments about this project and looks forward to a mature dialog throughout the process. 

The District, in partnership with the Summit Park HOA, Summit County, and the Park City Fire Department, encourage homeowners to actively manage their own properties in order to extend the reach and impact of treatment. Residents interested in learning more about private treatments are encouraged to contact Mike Quinones, Summit Park HOA-Fire and Safety Coordinator, at summitparkfirewise@gmail.com and may be able to add private lots, at owner’s expense, to the contracted work plan.