L. A. Moran Reforestation Center Drone Aerial Surveys

Document Description: The project involves Fresno State University use of drones on property owned by CAL FIRE. The subject property is the L.A. Moran Reforestation Center (LAMRC) which is located at 5800 Chiles Road in Davis, California. The LAMRC property is approximately 40 to 60 acres in size and is predominately undeveloped Fresno State University has received grant funding to use small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS), or drones, to test mapping and surveying protocols and has asked CAL FIRE to partner with them to acquire data that can be shared. Approximately 30 metal targets would be placed in the ground within the project boundary. The targets consist of a one foot long post buried two inches below the ground surface with a removable circular target that attaches to each post during drone flights. The flights would take place approximately one day every 2-3 weeks for about a year.

Contact Information: Christina Snow
CA Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
1300 U Street
Sacramento, CA 95818
Phone : (916) 995-6044

Exempt Status: Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code: Class 4, 6
Reasons for Exemption: This project fits under portions of three classes of Categorical Exemptions to CEQA: Class 4 (Minor Alterations to Land) and Class 6 (Information Collection). The project activities will all occur within previously disturbed areas. The areas where new ground disturbing activities might occur are limited and are minor in scope. Field review by CAL FIRE staff confirmed that no exceptions apply that 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 or 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 or traffic, or to utilities and service systems. Documentation of the environmental review completed by the Department is kept on file at LAMRC.