AND MORE …
This is our catch-all page where we can include some items of community importance that didn't seem to fit in any of the previous pages.
- Tree Removals
- A Few Words About the Fire Department
Tree Removals
Living in the forest means that clearing trees may be necessary both before and after a home is built. Most of the lots at Lake Almanor West have substantial numbers of trees on them, and it usually requires some clearing to make room for a new structure. Thereafter, tree removal occurs as trees become distressed or die, or when tree growth causes overcrowding (i.e., insufficient clearance between tree crowns). In each case there are some steps that must be taken to ensure that proper permissions or permits are obtained BEFORE anything is cut.
The WACC Architectural Committee must give approval before you can cut any tree over six (6) inches in diameter, where the diameter is measured a chest height. By WACC policy, this step is required in all situations, although there may be temporary blanket waivers in effect regarding special circumstances (like burned trees); check with the WACC Office for current specifics. In addition, you may also need to obtain a CalFire permit before cutting trees, subject to the conditions noted below.
• New Construction — In the situation were initial lot clearing needs to occur to allow new construction to begin, a CalFire permit is ALWAYS required. This involves a one-time exemption called a "Less Than 3 Acre Conversion Exemption" that must be prepared by a Registered Professional Forester (RPF). The actual clearing must be done by a Licensed Timber Operator (LTO). More information is found on the link noted in the next paragraph.
• After Initial Construction — Where tree removals are performed AFTER a home is constructed, other CalFire permits and exemptions may come into play. Some circumstances require RPF and LTO services, while others do not. The most recent guidance from CalFire on the matter is found at this LINK.
A Few Words About the Fire Department
Not surprisingly, one of the primary participants in Firewise activities is the local fire department. In our case, that's the West Shore Fire Department, formerly the West Almanor Fire Department, located at 947 Long Iron Drive in the development. The fire department is the primary element of the West Almanor Community Services District (WACSD), a tax-funded Plumas County agency whose authority and charter comes from the Plumas County Board of Supervisors. The organization has one full-time employee, the Fire Chief / General Manager, and about a dozen volunteer firefighters and EMTs. Oversight is provided by the WACSD Board of Directors, a group of five individuals elected from within the district. The official district boundaries coincide with the boundaries of Lake Almanor West (roughly one square mile in area). However, by the terms of a June 2020 Joint Powers Agreement (JPA) with the Prattville-Almanor Fire Protection District to our south, which formed the West Shore Fire Department, the team automatically responds to emergencies within both of those districts. It also responds to the small enclave of Big Meadows under a services contract agreement. Furthermore, Plumas County has assigned a large extended response area to the department, covering in excess of 170 square miles, reaching approximately from the lake shoreline on the east to the county line on the west, and from Hwy 36 on the north to an irregular boundary below Butt Lake on the south. The department also responds (when dispatched) as mutual aid to neighboring districts around the lake.
During the 2021 Dixie Fire the Fire Chief and roughly half of the volunteer team stayed behind when the west shore was evacuated. As a designated CalFire task force, they provided protection for the critical water supply infrastructure while aiding the many visiting strike teams with local insights on safe zones, water sources, access routes, etc. They actively fought spot fires and flareups during the primary assault on the development and for many days after the main fire front had passed.
The mailing address for WACSD and West Shore Fire Department is 947 Long Iron Drive, Chester, CA 96020. E-mail can be addressed to westalmanorfd@citlink.net , and the business phone number is (530) 259-5112 .