ANGWIN RIDERS: During the month of January, the Pacific Union College Demonstration and Experimental Forest will be working on their wildfire mitigation project, causing temporary closures along the ridgeline between Howell Mountain Road in the North to the Las Posadas State Forest in the South. Please visit @PUCForest on Facebook for details and maps regarding their shaded fuel break project. When out riding, please be aware of the potential closures. The skilled operators on the masticators (see photos) are focused on the precision of their work and won’t notice riders in the area. The closures are temporary and will move along the planned route throughout the month of January. Watch for the orange cones and closure signs.

REMBA supports the efforts of PUC Forest management in their efforts at wildfire mitigation for the forest and the town of Angwin. The mild inconvenience of temporary closures is well worth it when it comes to fire suppression. The closures will generally be ¼ – ½ mile from the equipment and will move as the project progresses.

REMBA went out to get a few pictures of the masticating machines in operation. We were impressed with the skill and precision the operators exhibited. During project discussions, PUC Forest Manger Peter Lecourt had this to say regarding getting a hand crew on site, “While the mastication crew will wrap up in late Jan/early Feb, a hand crew will be doing additional thinning well into February (100 feet wide of clearing on the eastern, downhill side of the firebreak).” Please feel free to visit the PUC forest website at www.pucforest.com if you’d like to learn more about this project and future projects.