Hydromulching Complete on Forest Service Lands in Gap Fire Area
The contractor will continue to hydromulch the affected county-area lands north of the Goleta Valley.
After almost two weeks, 3,238 flights made by six small airplanes and one large helicopter, and one light rain over the weekend, the hydromulching of U.S. Forest Service lands affected by July’s Gap Fire has been completed.
Hydromulch is a mixture of recycled paper, wood fiber, water, a binding agent and a temporary green dye. About 3.5 million gallons of the stuff has been dropped on Forest Service lands in the past two weeks.
The hydromulched areas will remain closed to the public for a year, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
“Walking, biking, driving or horseback riding on the mulch will reduce its effectiveness in reducing erosion and protecting the community of Goleta,” Ranger Cindy Chojnacky said. “We hope people will understand the importance of protecting the mulch over the winter and that they will abide by the closure. Anyone who violates the closure is subject to a fine and damages.”
Starting Tuesday, the same planes and helicopter will continue to drop hydromulch, this time in the Santa Barbara County area between the Los Padres National Forest and Goleta’s urban limit line. The county hydromulching project is expected to take about as long as the federal project and cover the same amount of land.
Noozhawk staff writer Sonia Fernandez can be reached at .
» wrote on 10/07/08 @ 09:43 AM
I guess the liberals can completely throw out all of their pretended concerns about carbon footprints and harm to the environment when it is supposed to benefit them.
Besides the almost $5M spent on this CO2 spewing operation, has anyone counted the thousands of gallons of fule burned flying over our hills?
The irony, as any ecologist will verify, is that seeding hills is a huge waste of money and it only increases the chance of another fire. Lots of non-native grasses growing on a very dry hillside facing directly south will turn brown in very short order. All it needs is a reason to burn.
Also, the first heavy rain will only wash it all away into the ocean. Now, all of the tons of fertilizer laced seeds dumped on the hillside will pollute all of our water ways and then the ocean.
WHAT A JOKE. But, since the liberals think that this may help their own personal space, then it most be ok to over look the potential damage.
Long Live Situational Ethics.
» wrote on 10/07/08 @ 11:26 AM
Living next to the airport I have been watching with awe the aerial maneuvers of these little “air tractors” and the variations of colors - from green to brown - of their loads. It only takes a day for the green color to dissapate and the mountains become like an artists palette, albeit somewhat heavy on the camofalgue colors. I want to thank them for their diligence and skill in the air. Hearing the engines coming in for a landing,watching their banking turns, sometimes coming in two and three at a time - it’s nearly as good as an air show! And I’ll miss them when it’s all done.
» wrote on 10/07/08 @ 01:18 PM
Methinks “Liberal Situation Ethics” doth protest too much. This has less to do about carbon footprints and more about saving lives and property. Plus he/she doesn’t know that there are no seeds, or any fertilizer involved in the hydromulch operation.
Is it me or have the stories lately had a anti-liberal troll lately? If one reads other recent stories, there seems to be at least one commenter taking (read: abusing) the space and opportunity to blast liberals while making vague or no logical links to the actual story.
Hey, troll, at least do us the favor of knowing what you’re talking about before spewing over every story first thing in the morning.
» wrote on 10/07/08 @ 02:02 PM
To Ethics: Why don’t you research what your talking about before you start blindly attacking people. Did this article say anything about hydromulch containing seed? Have you read anything about what hydromulch is and what it does? Here’s an idea for you; go down to the airport where they are filling up the planes and see what it’s all about. Most importantly though, hydromulch has no seed or fertilizer in it. I creates a layer that that binds the soil and holds in some moisture to allow the native seed underneath to sprout.
Also what would be the cost and carbon footprint be, if say, 100 houses were damaged by a mudflow under the burn area? I’m guessing a couple of feet of muddy water will do at least $200,000 damage to a house. It adds up real quick. How would you feel if someone were killed? I live in a Painted Cave fire rebuild, the people that owned it at the time weren’t lucky enough to have the choice of hydromulch and the Gap Fire came within a mile of my house. If it had crossed Old San Marcos and come into my canyon your damn right I would want them to be hydromulching it. I’ve already evacuated due to possible flooding when 154 washed out and I don’t want to again if it’s preventable.
» wrote on 10/08/08 @ 09:50 PM
I think you all have it wrong..
Do you really think a VERY THIN layer of paper waste and glue sprayed from 200’ above the ground is going to make a damn bit of difference in holding back the soil on a steep hillside, during a heavy rain storm?? Common, that is really pretty silly. The layer on the ground must only be about 1/16 of an inch thick.
You really can not be that gullible.
The only issue here is Money !
1. The airplane operators and owners make a bundle
2. The city/ county wants to make you think that they “did all they could” when the hillside slides and the Attorneys begin to circle for fresh meat.
You better buy your flood insurance now. This is just one of the risks of living near the bottom of a big mountain. Just ask La Conchita..
» wrote on 10/09/08 @ 04:58 PM
You are all right-
1) The “specialists” who flew on the green placebo (which is essentially pine wood shavings and recycled newspaper- not truly ORGANIC as the USFS erroneously stated) make a killing- more than $400 K/ Day !! They did their work in half of the time they projected- they should get paid 1/2 as much !!
2) USFS does it to say they did “something”. Really there are many more cost-effective things they could’ve done if need be. For the same money- they could have had better protection but its not as “sexy” as the aerial mulching.
3) Granted- the homeowners/ ranchers who are directly in the path of mudflow and silt flow should take out flood insurance and do it now. No way, no how, no chance that the little goop they sprayed can defy the laws of gravity and nature.
4) It is a shame to not have included some native or non-threatening seed in the aerial efforts- since the USFS says it will be ~ 5 years before the ground is stable again. Vegetation is the only truly effective soil holder that there is. Seedlings would help stabilize in years 2-5 while the native shrubs are growing.
5) All the vendors/ contractors/ suppliers of the hydromulching come from outside the state of California- and probably do not pay their sales tax or do anything to boost CA economy. Why did this not go out to public bid and why does there not exist some preference for CA businesses?
“Bridge to nowhere” in AK and now “Hydromulching from Heaven” in CA- your government dollars hard at work.
Study and Vote- get involved in Politics- we are losing our effectivenss.
BB