BLM announces $275k for fire prevention at Swasey Recreation Area during Redding visit
The national director of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management visited Redding on Monday to announce that funding has been set aside for fire prevention work at the Swasey Recreation Area west of Redding.
Tracy Stone-Manning said the $275,000 for work at the recreation area will be used to remove burned trees still standing after the 2018 Carr Fire. They money will also be used to thin out trees and brush to reduce the threat of wildfire in the area, she said.
"We're looking at a bunch of standing dead trees that are a problem for the next fire that comes through," Stone-Manning said.
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The Carr Fire started July 23, 2018, along Highway 299 in the Whiskeytown National Recreation Area west of Redding.
The Carr Fire is the ninth most destructive fire in California history, burning 229,651 acres and destroying 1,614 buildings. State officials said eight people also were killed during the fire.
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The $275,000 will be enough to remove dead trees on about 100 acres of the 2,000-acre recreation area, a popular spot for hikers and mountain bikers.
The recreation area draws thousands of visitors a month in the spring and fall, according to Sarah Denos, a BLM spokeswoman. Up to 4,000 people visit on average the area in April, she said.
About 100 acres had previously been treated in the area, the BLM said.
"So I think our challenge really, as a bureau, is in a time of climate change is to as much as we can build resilience into the landscape so that a couple things happen. One, the landscape is better able to take the next fire or drought that comes, and two we're re-creating habitat to help blunt the biodiversity crisis we're also in," Stone-Manning said.
While the Carr Fire burned four years ago, the money for rehabilitation recently became available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the BLM said.
The money is part of $8 million used for 26 similar restoration projects statewide, according to the BLM.
The infrastructure law provides $26 million in funding for similar rehabilitation projects across the country, according to the BLM.
Damon Arthur is the Record Searchlight’s resources and environment reporter. He is part of a team of journalists who investigate wrongdoing and find the unheard voices to tell the stories of the North State. He welcomes story tips at 530-338-8834 by email at damon.arthur@redding.com and on Twitter at @damonarthur_RS. Help local journalism thrive by subscribing today!
This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Swasey Recreation Area to receive $275k for fire prevention
