Fuels Management and Assessment

IRM offers a complete fuels management solution.  Our services include fuels and forest inventory, analysis of current fuels in relation to fire risk and desired ecosystem function and development of fuel reduction prescriptions.  On-the-ground implementation of fuels reduction plans include hand crews, and/or use of our LightfootTM machine.

Services:

  • Fuels Assessment
  • Mechanical Fuels Reduction using the LightfootTM
  • Restoration Practices for treated areas

Please visit our LightfootTM page to learn more about our fuels reduction brush mowing, piling, and shearing services.

Forest types throughout the inland western United States have undergone major structural and compositional changes as a result of fire suppression, logging and domestic grazing.  On many sites, desired conditions cannot be achieved without active management.

IRM's Lightfoot masticating over stocked pine seedlings.
IRM’s Lightfoot masticating over stocked pine seedlings.
Trees marked for removal according to fuels management plan.
Trees marked for removal according to fuels management plan.

A well-designed forest restoration strategy allows land managers to achieve important objectives such increasing habitat for rare and declining species, protecting water resources and maintaining viewsheds.

Science-based fuels reduction builds resiliency of plant communities to disturbance processes (fire, insects/disease), and is an initial step towards restoring forest structure to highly desired conditions maintained by fire regimes prior to white settlement.

Please visit our Projects page for examples of related projects completed by IRM.