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Written by: Jessica Alvarez, Communications & Content Manager

Based in Nevada City, CA, Robinson Enterprises, Inc. has been in business for more than 75 years and offers a wide range of services including trucking and hauling, logging, mastication, land clearing, and general contracting. As the forest products industry has evolved over the decades, however, their work has taken a turn toward environmental services, according to Co-Owner Joe Griggs, Jr.

Robinson crews have just started their fourth field season on the Yuba I FRB project on the Tahoe National Forest this summer. Their work over the past three years has consisted of mechanical thinning of mixed conifer forests, fuels reduction, meadow restoration, and more. Despite being on time for Yuba I project completion this year, the work hasn’t been a walk in the park, according to Griggs. Some of the biggest challenges encountered over the course of the project have been mitigating hydrology issues, preventing impacts to waterways as well as crews running into archaeological sites which needed resource protection. But the biggest challenge, by far, has been the very issue they are trying to make the Tahoe more resilient to: wildfire.

According to Robinson Project Supervisor, Clint Adams, the 2021 wildfire season was one of the worst to date and 2022 isn’t looking much better. Out of 22 working days in a month, last year crews were affected by either shortened working hours (ending the day at 1 p.m.) or a complete shutdown of the operation for 16 days in July, 20 days in August, and 21 days in September due to high fire danger making it “almost impossible to get work done throughout the year.”

And yet, contractors have work to do and a paycheck to collect. To mitigate the shortened work hours and still be able to complete work at all under these conditions, Griggs has had to find ways around these challenges such as getting work started way, way earlier in the morning. Thanks to the flexible funding structure of the FRB, persistence and hard work of these contractors, and the responsiveness of project implementer, National Forest Foundation, however, Yuba I FRB will be implemented at an accelerated rate as compared to conventional U.S. Forest Service timelines. “I would offer that the NFF has been very receptive to the multifaceted challenges we have faced,” said Griggs. “They’ve been flexible with the timing of the work and the changes we’ve had to make due to the market conditions of the timber industry.”

Despite all the setbacks, Griggs says they are very pleased to be able to be a part of this kind of work. “When you’re familiar with the forest in your area, it’s pretty evident when these types of treatments take place. Visually, it makes quite a difference.” he said. “I think our work has a couple different benefits. We know that, by reducing thousands of tons per acre off of the landscape, we’re reducing the fuel load. It’s also more pleasing to the eye to be able to look through the forest than it is to see just a wall of debris out there, so I’m just happy to be able to do this work in my own backyard, which has always been our special place.”

Blue Forest and our partners would like to thank all the contractors doing work on the ground day in and day out and pulling through to complete this project on time. We hope to continue to work with Robinson Enterprises, Inc.  on future projects.