Starting on Thursday, October 3, 2024, the Tribal Division of Resource Management and Protection (DRMP) will be working with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to conduct aerial grass seeding using a small fixed-wing aircraft. The aerial grass seeding will take approximately 3-4 days to complete. Both the Salt Fire and South Fork Fire burned areas will be reseeded during this time. It is strongly recommended that Tribal members avoid the burned areas during flight operations to allow the seed to settle to the ground. There will be DRMP and NRCS staff on the ground in the burned areas to ensure that seed is evenly distributed and applied at the appropriate rate.
Then in mid-October, the aerial mulching will begin using helicopters to drop shredded wood fibers. The wood fibers will come from some of the burned trees that will be logged and ground up in a tub grinder to create the mulch. Applying mulch to the burned areas will help reduce overland flow of water, prevent soil erosion, and retain moisture for the grass seed. When we have a firm date for the start of aerial mulching, we will post another announcement. Again, we strongly recommend that Tribal members avoid these areas during helicopter operations, as there will be large amounts of mulch dropped on the ground which could affect visibility if you are driving in the burned areas.
These restoration efforts will prevent soil erosion, protect water quality, and promote natural regeneration of our forest.