Up in the North Yuba Headwaters, as the leaves are changing and the air is getting crisp, SYRCL is wrapping up our work for the season at the Salmon and Packer Creek Aspen Restoration Project. Located in Sierra County on Tahoe National Forest (TNF) land, this 292-acre Project extends from the junction of Packer Lake Road and Gold Lakes Highway up to Packsaddle Campground.  

The primary goal of the Project is to restore degraded quaking aspen stands along Packer and Salmon Creeks. Additional goals include improved forest resilience and reduced risk of high severity fire.

“Aspen stands are vital to forest biodiversity, providing important habitat for wildlife and contributing to overall ecosystem resilience,” said Anne Marie Holt, SYRCL’s Aspen Restoration Program Manager. “This project reflects a strategic, science-based approach to restoring these sensitive areas.” 

Restoration actions in 2026 include:

• Selective thinning and removal of densely packed conifers to support healthy aspen regeneration, decrease fuel loading, and increase forest health
• Installation of beaver dam analogs (BDAs) and post assisted-log structures in Salmon Creek Meadow to slow water flow, expand wet meadow habitat, and promote aspen growth along the meadow fringe. 

This Project is being implemented over multiple years, and SYRCL has accomplished over 75 acres of work at the project site this year, focusing on tree thinning and removal and prepping for pile burning on the north side of Packer Creek. The project site has completely transformed and now you can really see all the gorgeous aspen and cottonwoods shine, with large old growth Jeffrey pines standing proud and tall.

The piles created this year will be burned in the coming years through SYRCL’s partnership with the TNF and the North Yuba Forest Partnership. 

SYRCL also worked with Symbiotic Restoration to install post-assisted log structures this year. 

Next year, the Project is expected to recommence in late August or early September and will focus work between Packer Lake Road and Packer Creek. 

This project is funded by the Wildlife Conservation Board, the U.S. Forest Service, and from the Yuba Aspen and Meadow I Forest Resilience Bond from Blue Forest. This project is part of a larger forest health project known as the North Yuba Landscape Resilience Project, led by the Tahoe National Forest and the North Yuba Forest Partnership.  

For more information, contact: Anne Marie Holt, Aspen Restoration Program Manager