Wildland Fuel Reduction and Environmental Thinning

Swanson Group Aviation has become a preferred operator in environmentally sensitive areas and urban interface regions where minimal disturbance is required. SGA is uniquely suited for fuels reduction, hazard removal, and watershed thinning due to the professionalism of our crews in sensitive areas. A very quiet aircraft with low rotorwash allows selective thinning without residual canopy or stand damage.

SGA has been repeatedly selected by the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and various power companies and municipal, county and state agencies for selective forest removal in close proximity to sensitive residential neighborhoods and watershed land. This is due to our environmentally responsible approach to hazard thinning.

Why use a helicopter to remove brush or trees?

• Urgency for removal: helicopter can do the same work in 15%-20% of the time compared to conventional methods
• High risk for burning brush/debris on site
• Steep terrain, inaccessible by ground based methods
• Wet land areas
• Not removing forest fuel debris increases fire hazards