Northern Pike Netting Activities

Northern Pike Netting Activities

The purpose of this memorandum is to clarify the previous September 2000 NOE with additional detail for the Department's conclusion that the level of fish mortalities cause no significant adverse environmental impact to the waters of Lake Davis, and that any fish mortalities that do result from the activities described below are exempt under Class 6 category of the CEQA Guidelines. During the 2000 season, the Department's physical methods to contain and control northern pike included the use of seines, gill nets, and box (trap) nets. The Department also conducted electrofishing to sample fish. In order for the Class 6 categorical exemption to apply, the activity must satisfy three conditions. (14C.C.R. & 15306.) The first and third conditions are not an issue here. The second condition, which is the focus of our discussion, is that the activity must cause no serious or major environmental disturbance. This condition anticipates some physical activity that results in environmental change, but any such changes must be found to be minimal and inconsequential. The September 2000 NOE concluded that, given that the fish population of rainbow trout alone exceeds 1 million, the numbers of fish left to decompose was minimal.

Plumas