Message from PG&E | Intermittent Closures on Howell Mountain Road Starting Monday, November 29 To Remove Logs From Felled Trees

ST. HELENA, Calif. — In response to customer and community requests, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) is removing wood from trees that PG&E and its contractors felled during and after the Glass Fire in 2020. This work will impact traffic on Howell Mountain Road in St. Helena, starting Monday, November 29.

Traffic control, in the form of flaggers and signage, will be put in place starting at 7:30 a.m. to guide drivers and passersby safely through the area. The road will be condensed to one lane through 5:30 p.m. for the crews to safely remove the logs from atop the steep incline over Howell Mountain Road. At times, the large equipment may force full closure of the road for  short periods of time through the duration of the project. Lanes will go back to normal at 5:00 p.m., the time in which crews will finish each day.

Crews worked to restore power safely and as quickly as possible during the Glass Fire, and that included felling hazardous trees. After completing tree work, crews chipped wood that was less than four inches in diameter and spread the chips onsite, where possible. Because wood is considered the property of the landowner, any wood larger than four inches in diameter was left onsite. There is no legal or regulatory requirement to remove large-diameter wood, since it is the property of the landowner.

Crews have been returning to those sites, contacting, and working directly with landowners to dispose of the large-diameter wood that was cut down for safety. Landowners who would like to participate in PG&E’s Wood Management Program and have safely accessible wood from trees that PG&E felled, should call 1-877-295-4949 or email wildfiresafety@pge.com.

PG&E contractor crews who will be performing the wood removal will carry identification and provide it upon request. Thank you for your patience.

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For more information about contacting the City of St. Helena, please visit our Contact Page: https://www.cityofsthelena.org/contact

To see original message: https://www.cityofsthelena.org/community/page/message-pge-intermittent-closures-howell-mountain-road-starting-monday-november-29