Eastern Sierra Climate and Community Resilience Project implementation begins May 19
Temporary closures will be in effect while contractors are engaged in hazardous fuel reduction work. Community meetings on May 13, 14, 19
Contact Information: Public Affairs Officer: Lisa Cox (760) 873-2427 [email protected]
Bishop, Calif., May 14, 2025— Inyo National Forest and the Whitebark Institute will begin hazardous fuel reduction work on 1,150 acres within 9 treatment units of the Eastern Sierra Climate and Communities Project (ESCCRP) starting as early as May 19 in the Mammoth Lakes area.
Work will run from May through November this year as the first phase of the project in the highest priority wildland-urban interface zones. However, project timelines may change due to unforeseen circumstances and weather conditions.
Work hours will generally run six to seven days a week at various hours, however for the units located next to private property, the chainsaw hours will be limited to 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Saturday.
Whitebark Institute is organizing community meetings to inform the public about these projects on May 13, May 14, and May 19 from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. For more details: https://whitebarkinstitute.org/2025-mammoth-community-meetings/
Current closures are posted on the Inyo National Forest website under “Alerts:” https://www.fs.usda.gov/r05/inyo/alerts
Estimated work timeline:
• “Forest Trail” Units: May 19 – June 6
Hand thinning treatments with chainsaws will be conducted in this area, just north of Forest Trail and east of Minaret Road. See map with units in the teal/blue color.
• “Misery West” Units: May 31 – June 24
Hand thinning treatments with chainsaws will be conducted in this area, located just north of the Town of Mammoth Lakes and east of the Mammoth Scenic Loop. See map with units in the orange color.
• "Panorama Dome" Unites: June 25 - June 30
Hand thinning treatments with chainsaws will be conducted in this area, located just north of Old Mammoth Road and adjacent to Mill City. See map with units in the pale yellow color.
• “Red Fir/Bluff Street” Unit: June 30 – July 1
Hand thinning treatments with chainsaws will be conducted in this area, located just north of Old Mammoth Road and adjacent to Mill City. See map with unit in the brown color.
• “Junkyard” Units: June 30 – Mid-November
Mechanical thinning treatments with heavy equipment will be conducted in this area, located north of HWY 203 across from the Mammoth Mountain Ski Area Chair 4 and Chair 2 parking lots. See map with units in the purple color.
• “Earthquake Dome” Units: early July
Hand thinning treatments with chainsaws will be conducted in this area, located just north of the Town of Mammoth Lakes and west of the Mammoth Scenic Loop. See map with units in the color green.
• "Aspen" Unit: mid-June - early August
Hand thinning treatments with chainsaws will be conducted in this area, located near Sherwin Creek Road. See map below with units in the color neon green/chartreuse.
• “Voorhis” Unit: September 2 – early October
Mechanical thinning treatments with heavy equipment will be conducted in this area, also located near Sherwin Creek Road. See map below with units in the color pink.
• “Coldwater” Units: September 2 – mid-November
Mechanical thinning treatments with heavy equipment will be conducted in this area, located southwest of Lake Mary Loop Road and within the Coldwater Creek Campground. See map below with units in the color red.
The Environmental Assessment of ESCCRP, as well as maps of the units and their corresponding treatments can be found on our projects page: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r05/inyo/projects/61827
More information and background about this project can be found on Whitebark Institute’s website: https://whitebarkinstitute.org/2025-mammoth-lakes-forest-restoration-and-wildfire-risk-reduction/
About the Whitebark Institute: Whitebark Institute is a non-profit organization focused on improving the health of Eastern Sierra forests, surrounding landscapes, and communities to ensure they can adapt and flourish in response to future wildfires and other impacts of our changing climate. Learn more at www.whitebarkinstitute.org
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