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KNP Complex Wildfire Tree Hazard Mitigation in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks » KNP Complex Wildfire Tree Hazard Mitigation in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks » Document List

The National Park Service (NPS) is releasing its Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) to mitigate roughly 12,000-15,000 roadside tree hazards within the burn perimeter of the 2021 KNP Complex Wildfire (KNP) in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks (parks).

Areas where tree hazard mitigation will occur include the Generals Highway, Mineral King Road, Crystal Cave Road, Crescent Meadow Road, Redwood Mountain Road, and the Clover Creek Spray Field. Action will also be taken in other developed areas within the KNP burn perimeter as necessary to meet desired conditions, safety, and resource protection goals. In addition, the NPS will treat woody debris within no more than 80 feet of the road's edge.

The KNP Complex Wildfire burned over 88,000 acres of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks and adjacent lands during the fall of 2021, resulting in high levels of tree mortality across the landscape and adding to the already extensive levels of conifer mortality previously documented within the parks and throughout the Sierra Nevada. Where dead or otherwise defective trees overlap with developed areas, some are considered tree hazards - meaning they pose a direct risk to human safety and property due to the likelihood of their failure and potential to hit a human or man-made target.

The FONSI is the final stage of the National Environmental Policy Act process begun in 2022. The project will minimize the threat to public safety and NPS infrastructure from tree hazards killed or otherwise damaged by the KNP Complex Wildfire. Mitigation of tree hazards and treatment of fallen debris will begin during the summer of 2023.

The FONSI can be accessed via the "Document List" link on the left-hand side of this page.

Contact Information

Elly Boerke, 559-565-3102