Pacific Southwest Region

Lake Arrowhead Log Storage Improvements

• San Bernardino County
• Logging Vendors

Tree mortality in the Lake Arrowhead area of San Bernardino County has created a serious danger to the safety of persons and property from falling trees (due to wind, ice, and snow storms) and the potential for catastrophic wildfire. This situation, brought on by forest overstocking, a six-year drought, and bark beetle infestations, has created a condition that now requires combined efforts of both public and private entities to address the problem for the over 96,211 permanent residents in the area.

Since February 2003, there has been a high demand for tree removal in the residential area. To help meet this need, the 26-acre Arrowhead Log Processing Station was established atop an old landfill site as a staging area for milling and chipping. The site provides employment for over 60 vendors. Many niche markets are being developed for the timber brought to the staging area. However, site access has been a challenge, as the dirt road to one of the main logging decks needs constant grading and watering to reduce dust. It is estimated that over 150 vehicles a day depend on this road for access. The road maintenance has been draining vital restoration funds from both the logging vendors and the county.

Through Congressional earmarks, the Forest Service has provided additional funds in 2004 that allowed San Bernardino County to contract paving the road. The paved road will reduce the impacts of the dust on air and water quality and well as reduce the demand on the water supply. The winning bidder was WTA Construction, a local, family-owned business whose owner lost part of his property to the 2003 wildfires. In addition to the improvements the contractor will make, the logging vendors donated time and equipment to expand their deck to accommodate the influx of timber coming of the nearby land. Many of these vendors are also starting to process logs off the nearby San Bernardino National Forest. According to Julie Gilbert, a San Bernardino County official, “It is a group process where the county, the logging vendors, and the Forest Service are all working together to maintain the site.”

If you would like more information on the restoration efforts at Lake Arrowhead, or more specific information on this site improvement project, contact Julie Gilbert, San Bernardino Solid Waste Department, 909-386-8778.

Success Stories

• Barton Flats
• Breaking Barriers
• Burn Area Restoration Projects
• Carveacre Community Protection
• Charlton Flats
• Crystal Lake
• Evacuation Route Clearing
• Forest Area Safety Taskforce
• Grant Successes
• June Aerial Flight Results
• Kuffel Canyon Road
• Laguna Mountain Community Protection
• Lake Arrowhead Log Storage Facility
• March Aerial Flight Results
• Mistletoe Eradication
• North Lake Arrowhead Fuels Reduction
• Seeds for Forest Renewal
• Skyline Fuels Reduction Project
• Student Conservation Association Partnership
• Take Pride in America

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