Ponderosa Park Fuels Mitigation Project – Phase 3

2026-11-03

1 . Thinning Specifications : a . Trees less than 8 inches Diameter Breast Height ( DBH ) will be spaced leaving 5 - 10 feet between crowns , or 15 to 20 feet between stems in stands of trees less than 10 feet tall . b . All trees less than 8 inches DBH will be removed within 5 feet of the road edge and chipped or masticated as described below . c . Species selection criteria : Priority will be placed on retaining 1 . Ponderosa Pine , 2 . Oregon white oak and 3 . Douglas - fir . Remove Grand fir when other species are present . d . Remove all trees less than 8 inches DBH growing within drip - lines of over story conifers , or where tree crowns overlap . e . Trees with poor growth form , and less than 30 % live crown ratio should be targeted for removal . f . Trees with a Hawksworth dwarf mistletoe rating of 4 or greater will be targeted for removal . g . When thinning , make sure to protect Western Gray Squirrel nest trees . The Western Gray Squirrel is a state listed species : http :// wdfw . wa . gov / specieshabitats / species / sciurus - griseus . A classic Western Gray Squirrel nest is one of constructed of pine boughs and placed about one - third of the way down from the top of a large tree , on a branch or a fork next to the hole ; however considerable variation does occur . Western Gray Squirrels often mix cuttings from conifer and broad - leaved tree species into their nests . Most nests are approximately 45 - 60cm ( 18 - 24in ) diameter and are tightly woven ( Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Research Report TFW - L - WAG4 - 00 - 001 ). 2 . Pruning Specifications : a . No pruning is required on trees less than 6 feet tall . b . All live limbs will be pruned by hand up to a height of 10 feet , or 30 % of the tree height , whichever is shorter . c . Proper pruning techniques will be used to minimize damage to tree boles . Limbs will be pruned at the branch collar . d . The cut limbs will be chipped or masticated on site . 3 . Brush Control Specifications : a . All brush will be cut and chipped or masticated on site unless islands are pre - designated or agreed to in writing by the DNR project manager or designee . The height of the remaining brush should not exceed 4 inches .

Washington

2026-05-14