Description
Background: In 2005 the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) entered into a 10-year Stewardship Agreement with the Trinity County Resource Conservation District (TCRCD) to manage the Weaverville Community Forest (WCF). These lands, approximately 1,000 acres of BLM-managed land within the Weaverville Basin, were up for disposal preceding the agreement. A trade was proposed to trade these lands with Sierra Pacific Industries (SPI), but the public outcry was immense. While multiple community meetings took place, the Stewardship Authority became available at about this same time. The BLM entered into a stewardship agreement with TCRCD at that time, and it has become a showpiece of successful stewardship cooperative agreements. Three forest health timber sales occurred in the area, firewood was sold to the community, Christmas trees planted, roads maintained and unapproved trails closed, and an experimental thinning and burning of oak woodlands has occurred. The agreement has been very successful. Objectives: Now that the original agreement with TCRCD has expired, the BLM would like to develop and support another ten-year stewardship agreement for the WCF. The area lands supported with a new stewardship agreement would expand to include more BLM-managed land within the Weaverville Basin, bringing the total land within the agreement area to just over 3,000 acres. Forest health timber sales, broadcast burning, firewood sales, etc., are expected to continue. One main objective to be supported in the new agreement is to continue the community relationship the BLM has now developed with the management of these lands. A steering committee is currently in place comprised of TCRCD, BLM, USFS, and interested members of the community, including former logging professionals and environmental advocates. The BLM plans to continue to utilize the steering committee to provide input into the decision-making process regarding these lands, and continue to offer forest products, in the form of timber, firewood, biomass, etc., to the local community of Weaverville, CA. Also, recipient(s) will be expected to facilitate public outreach meetings on a yearly basis to discuss projects within the Weaverville Community Forest. Public Benefit: The public would benefit from this agreement by having continued intense stewardship involvement with the lands located in the Weaverville basin. This agreement helps the public, through the partnership as well as the steering committee, to have a strong unified voice in the management of these lands. Awarding a new stewardship agreement would also help avoid interruption of the economic benefits received from the sale of the forest products of the area, as well as the benefits of service work jobs related to the agreement, all of which help improve the local economy. With the BLM's support, this agreement will help to better involve the community in the NEPA process, as well as incorporate public opinion into how public lands within their community are managed. The community brings a wealth of knowledge and history of the land to the table and with the BLM's support, can help land managers make better and more informed decisions.