Lynch, Tim ; Groenier, James Scott; Grob, Ian . 2008. U.S. Forest Service MTDC Heli-Claw Demonstration. 0851 2C01. Missoula, MT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, National Technology and Development Program.
This CD includes 10 minutes of video of a demonstration of a new tool for applying erosion control materials after a fire. The tool, called the heli-claw, allows a helicopter operator to control a "claw" that can pick up loose straw or shredded wood and drop it over areas severely burned by a wildland fire. The straw or shredded wood provides temporary erosion control. The anticipated benefits of the heli-claw include:
- Increased employee safety (no one stands beneath a hovering helicopter)
- Reduced labor costs (no nets to fill)
- Shortened turnaround times for the helicopter (no nets to hook and unhook)
- Increased acreage treated in a workday (more trips completed per workday)
In addition to the video of the demonstration, the CD includes half-a-dozen photographs of the heli-claw.
Keywords: aerial delivery, BAER, burned area emergency rehabilitation, erosion control, helicopters, mulch, online videos, shredded wood, straw, wildland fire
