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Seneca Tree Farm
Joe and Elizabeth Smailes purchased the Seneca property, 700 acres, in 1999 from Barbara Oil Co. and the Barbara Shaffer Neumann Trust, taking on custodianship in a long line of ownership rich with history prominent and well known to Plumas County. The property is located in the North Fork of the Feather River watershed below Lake Almanor and just south of present-day Canyon Dam. The property is full fee simple ownership made possible by a U.S. Mineral Patent #01963 that was issued and recorded in 1913. Seneca and the surrounding area are highly mineralized, meaning that gold in placer and lode form was prospected and mined in Seneca’s pioneer days. By historical accounts, it was 1851 that gold was discovered and small settlements moved in and mined gold mostly in placer form. It was then in the 1920s through the late 1930s, that Seneca experienced its heyday in terms of population and gold production. There were two primary lode (hard rock) mines that were successful during this time, namely the White Lilly and Del Monte mines, producing around 20,000 oz. – by unofficial historical accounts. In 1951, the mines and surrounding property were purchased by Shaffer Consolidated Gold Co. Three years later, Setzer Box Co. secured the timber rights from Shaffer Consolidated Gold Co. and logged the property. By written record, this 1954 harvest was the first organized substantial logging operation on the property, harvesting a good mix of old growth and large second growth timber with evidence of old skid trails and access roads that remain today. 

After the Smailes’ purchase in 1999, a Timber Harvest Plan (THP) was submitted to harvest approximately 650 acres (5000 MBF) over four years utilizing tractor, skyline, helicopter and integrated biomass logging systems. Licensed Timber Operators (loggers) performing harvest activities during this four-year period were Taffi Logging, Mitchell Brothers Logging, Stevenson Logging, John Taylor Logging, Columbia Helicopters and Culver Fiber and Fuel (biomass). All logs were delivered to Sierra Pacific Industries (SPI) – Quincy and Susanville. Following this harvest, two notable events occurred in the Seneca area: the 2012 Chips Fire and the 2021 Dixie Fire. The Chips Fire (approx. 75,000 acres) consumed approximately 350 acres across the Seneca landscape at high/moderate/low fire severity. It is important to note that about half of this burned acreage was a direct result of the Interagency Incident Command Team’s decision to employ “burn out” tactics on this incident including the Seneca Tree Farm, in which, the owner was informed and consented. Out of the 350 acres burned, 180 acres were salvaged logged in 2013 by Jack Medici producing 550 MBF of salvage logs that were sold to SPI – Quincy. Immediately after this salvage operation, a Catastrophic Wildfire Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) EQIP grant was secured in 2014 to site prep and reforest approximately 200 acres on the burn footprint with outstanding results (>80% survival).

The 2021 Dixie Fire was a completely different story, licensed timber operators were very hard to find due to the enormous size of the fire and the demand to hire loggers quickly to harvest fire-killed timber on commercial timberland along with non-timber emergency rehabilitation work. These factors led to the Seneca Tree Farm, and any private land in the locale, not being commercially salvage logged; however, Seneca landowners were fortunate to receive a Cal Forest Health Block Grant in 2022 administered by the Feather River Resource Conservation District (FRRCD) to lead the effort in rehabilitating and reforesting more than 450 acres in the Seneca area. The rehabilitation/site preparation that has taken place does not look like traditional salvage logging, but rather a cut and stack into a “teepee” shaped stack that was later burned in November 2024. Following site preparation, 65,000 one-year tree plugs (mixed conifer) were planted in April 2025 with a 70% survival, to date. The rehabilitation work continues today with tremendous gratitude given to the Feather River Resource Conservation District, Natural Resource Conservation Service, Seneca neighbors, and other partners for their direct involvement in post-fire treatments. 

Come join us to see what the Smailes family has done in the face of a devastating wildfire and enjoy a catered lunch. There will be great discussions amongst timberland owners, agencies and all interested in post-fire timberland management.

AGENDA
9:00am-10:00am
Meet at the intersection of Hwy 89 and Seneca Road.

10:30am-12:30pm
Seneca Post-fire Treatment Review – Cal Fire Forest Health Grant overview involving the FRRCD: Michael Hall, FRRCD District Manager and Brad Underwood, FRRCD; Kelly Holt, Diversified Resources owner/contractor, will discuss the successes and challenges of post-fire site preparation; Leigh Johnson, US Forest Service – District Ranger, Mt. Hough RD, Plumas NF, will discuss the agency’s direction of involving the public in the management of Federal System Lands; and a Sierra Institute representative will share how they, as a non-government organization, are assisting non-industrial landowners to gain a voice with government agencies, as well as assisting with NEPA review and documentation.

12:30pm-1:30pm
Lunch and Activity. Lunch catered by Christi’s Café. In addition, Jace Brown will give a brief history of Seneca, and there will also be a fun gold panning activity for everyone.

1:30pm-3:00pm
Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS): Ben McNally will lead the discussion on NRCS’s Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and how it can help a private landowner; Taylor Rogers, local drone operator, will perform a drone demonstration exhibiting a very different kind of tool for a private timberland owner.

3:00pm
Adjourn

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Address

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Contact Information

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Cost

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Lodging Information

Best Western Rose Quartz Inn
306 Main Street
Chester, CA 96020
(833) 320-8705

Antlers Inn
268 Main Street
Chester, CA 96020
(530) 258-2722

Surestay Plus Hotel by Best Western Susanville
2785 Main Street
Susanville, CA 96130
(866) 247-4912