Hydromulching in ANF

Rescues, fires, weather, roads, trails, water, etc.
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PackerGreg
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Joined: Sat Sep 12, 2009 9:31 pm

Post by PackerGreg »

I learned (from a former Forest Supervisor that is still in the loop) that what looks like hydroseeding along the Angeles Crest Highway is actually "hydromulching". It is essentially the same thing but without any plant seeds, and in this case they didn't use fertilizer either. It's mulch, dye and Guar Gum.

I found a good article on the subject at:
http://www.erosioncontrol.com/november- ... fires.aspx
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edenooch
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Joined: Fri Jul 03, 2009 7:42 pm

Post by edenooch »

is that the same green stuff the dropped on griffith park in the not so distant past?
it made the hills look green and then back to brown with no growth like 8 months later.
And its very costly i read. It was millions fora certain section just to get mulched..........and the want to do the entire ANF? or just the section by the highway?
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PackerGreg
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Post by PackerGreg »

Yeah, I know. $100 million to fight the fire and now more cost. Other than the price tag, I don't think it's a bad thing. I don't see any ecological problems with it, as long as they are not introducing non-native species and the rest of the material is quickly biodegraded. But it does seem impractical. The can drop the mulch from aircraft, but on how much acreage and at what price?

I know many of you jump on me when I say things like this, but I believe it to be more show business. They just shoot the mulch on the hillsides from trucks on the highway and it makes every passer by think that they are doing some good.

It would have been so much easier, more cost effective and less traumatic to the ecosystems to have managed the land properly before the fire instead of crossing one's fingers and hoping that the disaster would be the next guy's problem.

But I didn't mean this to be a political topic, I just wanted everyone to know that the Forest Service IS NOT seeding with Mustard or European grasses or...
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