Las Cumbres Fuel Reduction Phase II
Summary
SCH Number
2015118325
Public Agency
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
(CAL FIRE)
Document Title
Las Cumbres Fuel Reduction Phase II
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
11/30/2015
Document Description
This project is an amendment to an earlier project, Las Cumbres Roadside Fuel break (a discontinuous 33 acre shaded fuel break along roadsides and at strategic areas). The project has been expanded to include an additional 20 acres along the south west side of Favre Ridge Road and Grizzly Rock Road. The area is an upland habitat along a ridgetop. The project will reduce the brush component adjacent to residences to provide increased defensible space in the event of a wildfire. The fuels reduction will be completed with hand labor from the Ben Lomond Conservation Camp. Areas that will not be treated include stretches that are too steep for the crews to safely work upon, which will be left to the Captains' discretion. The community contains 120 homes on approximately 1250 acres off of Skyline Drive in Los Gatos California. The residences are located on the south and west slopes of Beatty Ridge above the Bear and Shear Creek drainages. Common vegetative communities are mixed evergreen and maritime chaparral. The area is shrub dominated all of which will be cut, trees greater than 5 inches DBH will be left in place and limbed to a height of six to eight feet. Cut material will generally be lopped- and scattered, piled in keyholes or chipped. Invasive species treated having mature seed will not be scattered or chipped and spread on site; instead it will be hauled off-site and disposed of properly or cut and laid within exiting areas of infestation, lopped to a height of 12 inches or less.
Contact Information
Name
Sarah Collamer
Agency Name
Cal Fire
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Address
Phone
Location
Counties
Santa Cruz
Township
8S
Range
2W
Section
27,28
Other Information
Section: 33,34
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
S:15304 C:4
Reasons for Exemption
The work proposed is a minor alteration to vegetation which does not involve removal of healthy, mature, scenic trees and is consistent with Categorical Exemption 4 - Minor alterations to land. No activity is proposed that is listed as a limitation under CCR 15300.2(a-f).
Field review by CAL FIRE staff confirmed that no exceptions apply which would preclude the use of a Notice of Exemption for this project. The Department has concluded that no significant environmental impact would occur to aesthetics, agriculture and forestland/timberland, air quality, biological resources, cultural resources, geology and soils, greenhouse gas emissions, hazards and hazardous materials, hydrology and water quality, land use planning, mineral resources, noise, population and housing, public services, recreation, transportation/traffic, or to utilities and service systems. Documentation of the environmental review completed by the Department is kept on file at San Mateo-Santa Cruz Unit Headquarters, 6059 Highway 9, Felton, CA 95018
Disclaimer: The document was originally posted before CEQAnet had the capability to host attachments for the public. To obtain the original attachments for this document, please contact the lead agency at the contact information listed above. You may also contact the OPR via email at state.clearinghouse@opr.ca.gov or via phone at (916) 445-0613.