Shingletown community success story

In the past five years, the residents of Shingletown have removed 1,266 tons of flammable vegetation from their area. That is 2,532,000 pounds of fuel no longer available to an unwanted fire.

The Shingletown Community Fire Safe Program began in early 1993 when a California Forestry Incentive Program (CFIP) grant helped to develop community support for increasing survivability in their wildland community. The Shasta-Trinity Ranger Unit, with leadership from Battalion Chief Ralph Minnich, worked with residents on education, demonstration of an aesthetically pleasing limited shaded fuel break, and a fuel reduction project that resulted in the removal and chipping of 90 green tons of vegetation and woody debris. With funds obtained from sale of the chips to the Wheelabrator Energy Company in Anderson, two water storage tanks were purchased for use in case of a fire. Approximately 87 residents participated that first year.

Following years saw the program expanded to other neighborhoods in the Shingletown area. Neighborhood Coordinators acted as resident contacts and a Strategic Wildfire Defense Plan was developed for the area. In 1997, approximately 200 residents participated in the Fire Safe Program and 389 green tons of vegetation was chipped at a cost of $51 per green ton.

The Shingletown Spring Fuel Reduction Program has been a resounding success, exceeding expectations in each of its five years. Local participants remove excess vegetation and woody material from their property and place it at the roadside to be collected, chipped and hauled to the energy company to provide fuel for the wood-powered electrical generating facility.

The Shingletown community is safer thanks to the outstanding efforts of hundreds of volunteers and the support of the Shasta-Trinity Ranger Unit.