As part of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest’s hazardous fuels reduction efforts, the Carson Ranger District, in cooperation with Alpine County, Alpine Fire Safe Council, Alpine Watershed Group, and Sierra Nevada Conservancy, has begun a fuels reduction projects. The mastication project is located in Alpine County, approximately two miles southwest of Markleeville.

Alpine County secured funding for the fuels reduction project through the Sierra Nevada Conservancy.

The project will consist of mastication of brush and ladder fuels on approximately 235 acres adjacent to Forest Service Roads 094 (Pleasant Valley Road) and 071 (Thornburg Canyon Road), and the Shay Creek residential area. Machinery will be operating in these areas for approximately one month, weather depending.

Motorists are asked to follow all warning signs posted in the area. The machinery being used in this project can throw debris up to 300 feet at high rates of speed. In order to reduce the time residents and recreationists are impacted, crews are working to complete work near high use areas first.