This week at camp we are working with a Placer County program to masticate, also known as mulching, the forest floor. Mastication is a fuel reduction treatment method used in forestry management to reduce wildfire risk and increase the health of the soil by shading and keeping it cool.

Mastication treatment utilizes equipment to grind and chip twigs, leaves, dead flowers, rotten wood, and other debris into small pieces. As you can see in this photo, the fuel has been reduced to create a nicely mulched forest floor.