Willliams Family Forest
In 2012 John and Laura Williams purchased 15 acres of redwood forestland with a main residence, guest house, deteriorating outbuildings and failing road infrastructure. Also on the property were remnants of an old sawmill that had been bulldozed into an actively eroding gully.  The parcel, then part of an 82-acre tract, had been heavily logged in 1968. Inadequate erosion control following logging operations created long-term active erosion sites. Redwood forests typically have clumps of redwood trees with the spaces between the clumps filled by native hardwood trees. Sudden oak death disease had been well established in the forest for some years, killing most of the tanoak trees leaving standing and fallen dead trees. Most of those that were still alive were infected and dying. The property had been put on the market as a probate sale (as-is, no seller disclosures), the house was a mess from neglect and poorly done repairs, the forest had been ignored for 44 years and was choked with living and dead underbrush. But that’s why they could afford to buy it, no one else wanted to deal with the problems.

First priority was making the main house livable and creating a fire-safe perimeter around the houses.  The guest house doubled as Laura’s art studio. At 15 acres the property did not qualify for California Forest Improvement Program (C-FIP) funding for forest improvement projects so they relied on grants from the federal USDA-EQIP program. Following is a summary of projects undertaken since purchase:

2016: Fire-Safe removal of trees around residential structures.
2017: EQIP Tree / Shrub Planting practice to plant 1-acre for erosion control and restoration.
2018: EQIP Grant for thinning / fuel hazard reduction of brush and small trees on 10 acres of forest.
2020: Received EQIP Grant for road rehabilitation and erosion control practices, including stabilizing gully erosion, installation of a 6-foot diameter culvert in a Class 2-S watercourse, restoration of a Class 3 watercourse to its original channel including a 12-foot drop inlet and 120-feet of pipe under the existing landing, and a rock-armored stream crossing.
2020: John submitted a Non-industrial Timber Management Plan (NTMP).
2020: Purchased a vacant 12.5-acre parcel adjacent to their existing parcel increasing their family forest to 28 acres.
2021: Implemented the EQIP road rehabilitation and erosion control practices.
2021: John amended the approved NTMP to include the additional 12.5 acres.
2022: Timber harvest – selective thinning of 25 acres to remove defective trees and increase spacing of residual trees.
2024: Approved EQIP / NBFIP projects including road surface stabilization and fuel hazard reduction through pile and burning or mastication. Work may or may not be in progress during field trip depending on contractor schedule.

Come and see the improvements made to their small family forest during the 12 years they have owned it. See and discuss work done through EQIP projects. Discuss the advantages of incorporating EQIP stream and road work into NTMP, and the advantages of having a limited Timber Operator License. See the results of the 2022 timber harvest and planned 2024 / 2025 projects. Discuss safe pile burning practices and see why planning for escapes is essential to safe burning. Visit Laura’s art studio and see her collected works.

AGENDA

9:00am-9:30am
Meet at Williams house, continue downhill to parking lot. NOTE: CELL PHONES DO NOT WORK HERE, ALL CARRIERS! Voice over internet work when connected to our Wi-Fi and near the house.
9:30am-10:00am
Welcome and Overview
10:00am-12:00pm
See and discuss forest improvement projects undertaken 2016 through 2024. See escaped pile burn area; discuss safe burn measures and smoke management in rural residential setting.
12:00pm-1:30pm
Lunch Break, Group Photo, visit Laura’s Art Studio
1:30pm-3:00pm
Walking loop tour of service roads 0.8 mile, moderate severity. 4x4 accessible for physically challenged. Overview of both properties and contrast treatments to date. See and discuss scheduled road de-watering and surface stabilization project. See and discuss areas of scheduled mastication / pile and burn fuel hazard reduction project.
3:00pm-5:00pm
Tour ends. Guests are welcome to relax and explore, visit Laura’s art studio, or begin their journey to Highway 101.