By John Driscoll
The Times-Standard
ARCATA, Calif. — Among the first round of U.S. Forest Service projects supported by President Barack Obama’s economic recovery plan are two California efforts that are ready to go.
The Six Rivers National Forest announced Monday that its first project would be clearing brush along approximately 1,000 miles of roads in Humboldt, Del Norte, Siskiyou and Trinity counties. The project would improve road safety, reduce woody fuel and improve access to many areas during wildfires.
The work has been deferred for years, but will now move forward under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
“We’d like to see that work done in the next 12 months,” said Six Rivers Forest Supervisor Tyrone Kelley.
The work would be done through cooperative agreements and contracts with private industry. It’s part of the $98 million of projects nationally selected for the first round.
The Forest Service received $1.15 billion in all from the recovery act, and will announce other projects in the near future. The Forest Service’s share of projects overall is expected to generate a total of 25,000 jobs, according to the agency.
Kelley said Six Rivers has submitted other projects for approval, and top priorities include infrastructure projects, fuel reduction and restoration efforts.
Also included in the first round of projects is a retrofit of the Forest Service’s Redwood Sciences Lab in Arcata. About $825,000 will go toward building a library and meeting rooms. Seismic upgrades will also be done on the building — originally built in 1976. The lab’s heating and air circulation system will be improved.
“All of these projects are shovel-ready projects that would be able to be started very soon,” said Forest Service spokesman Roland Giller.
The lab is part of the Forest Service’s Pacific Northwest Research Station, with several offices in California and Hawaii.
Redwood Sciences researcher Bill Zielinski said that the project would give the lab room for expansion, which would especially benefit its hydrology unit.
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