$2 million for Angora burned forest

Date: July 24, 2007

ANGORA FIRE AREA TREATMENT FUNDS APPROVED
Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER)

South Lake Tahoe CA. The funding request for Burned Area Emergency
Response (BAER) treatments for the Angora Fire area was approved at the Washington Office. With this approval, the USDA Forest Service, Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit has authority to obligate more than two million dollars to carry out a variety of emergency landscape treatments that will reduce hazards to life, property and resources, including reducing run off and
impacts to water quality. The Forest Service has been working in close cooperation with local, state and fellow federal agencies to develop the funding and treatment proposals for this important effort.

Some BAER treatments are already underway. Within weeks, a significant series of large landscape treatments will begin to stabilize the ash and post fire debris, allowing the burned area to resist erosion and run off effects through the coming winter season. BAER treatments are designed to reduce post fire seasonal run off impacts by 70% or more. Combined with
projects on non-federal lands and cooperative treatments, post fire
mitigation can be enhanced further.

Long term recovery efforts will take place after BAER treatments have been established, although planning and evaluations for long term recovery is already taking place.

No experimental treatments will be applied. BAER guidelines specify that only proven and effective techniques will be used. A large portion of the higher slope areas will undergo aerial hydromulching beginning in the next few weeks. Once commenced, the aerial hydromulching is expected to take two to three weeks, depending on the aircraft secured. This technique involves using aircraft to deliver a wet wood fiber mulch mix. This mix
contains no seeds. Included in the mix is an organic substance that acts to make the mixture sticky and resilient. This mix allows the soils and components to stabilize against late seasonal rains, snowfall and spring run off. Many areas of the burn are already seeing natural regeneration, with root sprouts appearing. Many areas where low to moderate fire activity occurred will see the upper unburned portions of trees shed
their needles, acting as a natural ground cover for lower to moderately burned soils.

The burned area of the Angora Fire was surveyed and determined to be of low risk of mud and debris flows.

A variety of hand treatments are being applied to National Forest Lands adjacent to the fire effected community, and along roads and drainages. Many BAER treatments have already commenced, and urban lot work within the fire affected community are underway.

|----------------------------+------------------------------|
| TREATMENT | AUTHORIZATION AMOUNT|
|----------------------------+------------------------------|
| | |
|----------------------------+------------------------------|
| Land treatment | |
|----------------------------+------------------------------|
| 1. Aerial Hydromulch | $1,590,000.00|
|----------------------------+------------------------------|
| 2. Ground Hydromulch | $52,500.00|
|----------------------------+------------------------------|
| 3. Treat noxious weed| $16,000.00|
| populations | |
|----------------------------+------------------------------|
| 4. Noxious weed | $3,220.00|
| detection surveys | |
|----------------------------+------------------------------|
| 5. Hand Mulch | $82,500.00|
| hillslopes | |
|----------------------------+------------------------------|
| 6. Install check dams| $1,600.00|
| and waterbars | |
|----------------------------+------------------------------|
| 7. Seed urban lots | $9,375.00|
| (erosion control) | |
|----------------------------+------------------------------|
| 8. Install filter | $350.00|
| fence on urban lots | |
|----------------------------+------------------------------|
| 9. Install fence on | $30,000.00|
| urban lots (OHV control) | |
|----------------------------+------------------------------|
| Roads | |
|----------------------------+------------------------------|
| 1. Restore drainage | $3,000.00|
| function | |
|----------------------------+------------------------------|
| 2. Roadway hazard trees | $7,500.00|
|----------------------------+------------------------------|
| 3. Install drainage | $192,500.00|
| armor | |
|----------------------------+------------------------------|
| 4. Install aggregate | $56,250.00|
| base rock | |
|----------------------------+------------------------------|
| 5. BAER warning signs | $5,600.00|
|----------------------------+------------------------------|
| 6. Install geotech | $2,160.00|
| fabric | |
|----------------------------+------------------------------|
| Protection and Safety | |
|----------------------------+------------------------------|
| 1. Hazard Tree removal | $2,000.00|
| on urban lots | |
|----------------------------+------------------------------|
| 2. Hazard tree survey| $22,000.00|
| on urban lots | |
|----------------------------+------------------------------|
| Initial Assessment costs | $115,650.00|
|----------------------------+------------------------------|
| | |
|----------------------------+------------------------------|
| Total Initial Approval | $2,192,205.00|
|----------------------------+------------------------------|

BAER treatments are part of a three phase effort.

Fire Suppression Rehabilitation: During Mop-up of fire
(This phase is complete) A series of immediate post-fire actions are taken to repair damages and minimize environmental impacts resulting from fire suppression activities. Fire suppression rehabilitation is usually begun after the fire is contained and most of the work is accomplished by fire crews in the mop-up
stage of firefighting. This work rehabilitates the hand (5 miles) and dozer (7 miles) fire lines, roads, safety zones (2 acres), and portions of Urban lots used during fire suppression efforts.

BAER Burned Area Emergency Response: Within one-year
(Some projects and treatments are already underway)
Emergency stabilization is done to prevent catastrophic post-fire
damage to life, property, or critical natural and cultural resources. The BAER program prescribes and implements emergency treatments on National Forest System lands that are installed as soon as possible before the first major storm. Loss of vegetation associated with a fire exposes soil to erosion.
Increased water run-off may lead to flooding and increased ediment and debris flow. BAER treatments may include the installation of water or erosion control devices; temporary barriers to protect recovering areas; warning signs; and drainage features for increased flow. BAER work may also remove critical safety hazards and prevent the spread of noxious weeds. The Angora fire BAER assessment is a cooperative effort with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Washoe Tribe of CA/NV and local
CA State agencies.

Long-Term Recovery: Within three years or more (Planning and evaluation have already begun for some aspects)
Non-emergency actions are done after fire control to repair or improve fire-damaged lands that are unlikely to recover naturally and to repair or replace facilities damaged by the fire that are not critical to life safety. This phase may include vegetation treatments and re-establishment, watershed and stream restoration, monitoring fire effects, replacing burned
fences, excavating and interpreting cultural sites, treating
pre-existing noxious weed infestations, and installing interpretive signs.