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Continental Divide Trail Suppression Repair Guidelines

Return to the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail Management Toolbox

Purpose:

The Continental Divide National Scenic Trail (CDNST) is congressionally designated under the National Trails System Act and is a recreation resource that is required under law to provide for unparalleled recreation and inspiring views. The Forest Service is responsible for making sure the many land managers and partners along the 3,100 miles of trail know the special status of the CDNST landscape and how the law, regulation and policies make the CDNST different from other trails. This same landscape is also faced with the growing concerns from wildfires. There will certainly be more wildfires along the CDNST landscape and we need to learn from past events. Suppression efforts will continue to happen within the landscape and this document is intended to provide guidelines for how to repair suppression actions.

Like designated wilderness, the importance and long-term impacts to this resource should be considered in the planning, implementation, and repair of suppression actions. The scenery along the Trail (including foreground) is a critical value of this recreation resource. Suppression actions should be minimized and repaired when lands along the trail are impacted to mitigate for the trail’s viewshed.

Trail Specifications:

Trail Tread: 18-24 inches

Trail Corridor Clearing: 6ft -8ft wide and 10ft high

Trail Viewshed: Landscape Visibility addresses the importance and sensitivity of what is seen and perceived in the landscape. It reflects the public concern (importance) of scenery along travel ways and use areas referred to as a concern level. It is also based on the degree of discernible detail (sensitivity) of the landscape and the distance from the observer or viewer. Therefore, Landscape Visibility is a combination of concern level, distance zone and viewshed analysis. Distance zones are identified in the scenery management system as:

  • Foreground – up to 1/2 mile from observer

  • Middleground – 1/2 to 4 miles from the observer

  • Background – 4 miles to horizon

Repair Guidelines:

Preface: All heavy equipment and mechanized use in wilderness require Regional pre-approval. Motorized use on or along the CDNST require Agency Administrator approval.

Heavy Equipment incursions across, following or directly on the CDNST:

  1. Utilize excavator with thumb to repair dozer lines crossing on, along, or perpendicular to the CDNST.

    1. Recontour natural slope and install drainage when needed on dozer lines.

      1. Install water bars or chunking on dozer line as stated in suppression repair plan specifications per maximum slope and distance between each drainage feature.

      2. Install chunking where waterbars would result in drainage onto the CDNST.

    2. Pull large cut and pushed vegetation throughout the dozer lines & over trail corridor.

      1. Place stumps and cut ends facing away for trail.

      2. Attempt to achieve at least 50% ground cover.

      3. Pull back vegetation onto line in an unorderly and random fashion.

      4. Ensure a high standard of naturalizing within the CDNST viewshed (immediate foreground – within 300 feet of CDNST).

    3. Minimize travel on the CDNST where it was not previously disturbed by heavy equipment.

    4. Focus on heavily obliterating and covering the lines where they intersect the trail or can be seen from the trail so it does not become a short cut and cause trail braiding in the future.

  2. Utilize hand crew to rebuild the CDNST trail & reestablish corridor after heavy equipment repairs are complete.

    1. If trail reconstruction requires significant trail stabilization, rock work, or is at a steep grade, request a Trails/Recreation Resource Advisor on site to assist during the repair.

    2. Rehabilitate trail tread to be 18-24 inches wide.

    3. Clear trail corridor to 6-8ft.

    4. Knock down berms & install drainage as needed, out slope reconstructed compacted trail tread to ensure proper drainage.

    5. Compact trail tread.

    6. Within trail viewshed (see definition in Trail Specifications) lop & scatter vegetation where trees & shrubs are not pulled back from heavy equipment.

      1. Cut ends should be placed away from the trail.

      2. Pull back vegetation onto line in an unorderly and random fashion.

      3. Do not line the trail with parallel rocks or logs, creates drainage issue long term.

      4. Disguise scrape marks left by dozer as best as possible.

      5. Disperse/hide cut rounds off trail if there is a large concentration of trees across the trail corridor.

  3. Request Conservation Corps Crew hitches, volunteer crews, CDT trail adopters, or other partner support to complete trail repairs and touch up work to be completed when fire is contained.

    1. Install CDNST trail blazes to redefine trail corridor

Heavy Equipment incursions at CDNST Trailheads or road crossings:

(in addition to above prescriptions)

  1. Install barriers to prevent Vehicle/OHV incursions using natural materials.

    1. Place rocks or large downed trees surrounding trailhead, where dozer line starts (do not utilize tree species that are highly sought after for firewood).

    2. Chunk ground (2-3ft high depending on soil type).

    3. Lop and scatter vegetation over chunked ground.

    4. Avoid installing large berms whenever other options are possible.

  2. Utilize hand crew to rebuild the CDNST trail & reestablish corridor after heavy equipment operations are complete.

Handline along or across the CDNST:

(in addition to above prescriptions)

  1. When CDNST is utilized as handline:

    1. Pull back berms, smooth out soil & recontour. Re-establish trail tread to be 18-24 inches wide. If widened beyond 24 inches, pull duff over widened trail section.

    2. If brushing occurred along the Trail:

      1. Within trail viewshed (see definition in Trail Specifications) ensure that repairs maintain a high standard for naturalizing all fire impacts.

      2. Cut ends should be placed away from the trail,

      3. Place vegetation along trail in an unorderly and random fashion.

      4. Do not line the trail with parallel rocks or logs, creates drainage issue long term.

    3. If trees or snags are taken down along the Trail within foreground:

      1. Low stump all cuts visible from the trail (recommended <6 inches when possible). Cover cut stump with soil or hide with duff or natural material.

      2. All cuts should be flush to the ground, no bevels or cross hatching.

      3. Minimize cuts along the trail, mimic crosscut saw methods (avoid cutting unnecessary rounds).

      4. Disperse cut rounds out of sight of the trail if there is a large concentration within the trail corridor.

      5. prioritize trees and snags on the uphill side of the trail. Retain trees on the downhill side of the trail to the greatest extent possible unless it is a hazard. This is preferred for scenic qualities.

  2. Rehabilitate handlines that cross/intersect the CDNST:

    1. Pull back berms, smooth out soil & recontour.

    2. Disguise the handline so it is not visible to the public.

    3. Within trail viewshed (see definition in Trail Specifications) ensure a high standard for disguising the handline by lopping & scattering vegetation (between 100-200ft fully disguise).

      1. Cut ends should be placed away from the trail.

      2. Place vegetation in an unorderly and random fashion.

      3. Do not line the trail with parallel rocks or logs, creates drainage issue long term.

      4. Disperse/hide cut rounds off trail if there is a large concentration of trees across the trail corridor.

  3. Utilize hand crew to re-establish or restore CDNST tread & reestablish corridor after handline repairs are complete.

Damage to CDNST in designated wilderness

***If the CDNST is impacted in designated wilderness, consider these prescriptions in addition to Minimum Impact Supression Tactics (MIST). All heavy equipment and mechanized use in wilderness require Regional approval.

(in addition to above prescriptions)

  1. Disguising cut stumps within CDNST immediate foreground:

    1. Non-mechanized
      § Low stump all cuts visible from the trail (recommended <6 inches). Cover cut stump with soil.
      § Hand crew - low stump & bury stump as much as possible

    2. Mechanized use approved
      § Dozer - use talons to rip the top of cut stump to appear like a natural break & run over stump to crush further
      § Excavator – crush and rip stump to appear like a natural break
      § Explosives – shoot stump to naturalize and “fuzz”

Policy References:

 

Staff Owner
Conservation, Engineering, Infrastructure, Project Management, Recreation, Restoration, Trails