F.L.A.S.H.

After a landowner has filled out an online interest form, ForestScapes which is contracted from the Humboldt County Fire Safe Council schedules a FLASH technician consultation. During the technician's visit the proper forms are filled out, mutual agreement is established, and fuel reduction treatments are gps tracked/flagged.

1. Treatment unit must be >0.5 acres.
2. The cost per site should not exceed $3,000.00
3. If defensible work is needed around the primary structure the cost is $100.00
4. The work must be completed as soon as possible once QAQC is approved by Humboldt County.

FLASH reimburses property owners (1/3rd) or (1/5th) of the cost on a per acre basis once the slash has been treated (chipped, pile burned, or lop & scattered).

• Heavy: $650.00 per acre
• Moderate: $400.00 per acre
• Light: $200.00 per acre

• Heavy: $550.00 per acre
• Moderate: $300.00 per acre
• Light: $100.00 per acre

Every FLASH project site needs a geospatial map of the primary residence, nearby streams, fuel reduction units, and GIS acres calculated in a (tabular form). The final product should be single shapefile for Humboldt County to QAQC and store in their database.

A.) USGS Earth Explorer (NAIP Imagery)

 https://earthexplorer.usgs.gov/ 

B.) California Natural Resources Agency (California Streams)

 https://data.cnra.ca.gov/dataset/california-streams 

C.) Humboldt County GIS Portal (Roads)

 https://humboldtgov.org/276/GIS-Data-Download 

D.) GPX files can be downloaded from ForestScapes upon request (FLASH Unit Boundaries). 

Question: How many acres of FLASH units need to be treated on a given property?  

Overall, the County wants to ensure the quality of FLASH fuel treatment units by checking that these units are not violating the California Forest Practice Rules and other Environmental regulations. Essentially, FLASH units must be an adequate distance from sensitive habitats, streams and major roads as established in the program requirements. It is under the responsibility of the FLASH technician that the units respect neighboring property lines.

Once Humboldt County approves of the spatial data, maps, treatment units, and paperwork; then project work can begin at the given APN site. The goal for the treatment units is to reduce the horizontal and vertical continuity of forest fuels by constructing a shaded fuel break in the forested treatment units. This reduces surface fuels, ladder fuels, reduces density of the canopy, and ideally healthy trees >8 inches in diameter are not to be cut. If diseased or dead trees are present in treatment units, then they are promptly felled away from roads and structures. All of this treatment work is done at the discretion of the landowner and falls under California Public Resource Code 4291.

1. Thankyou for tuning in folks, I greatly appreciate your time and consideration.
2. Any questions or comments?