Lake Skinner Remote Area Weather Station (3100-RRU-2019-002)
Summary
SCH Number
2019090295
Public Agency
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
(CAL FIRE)
Document Title
Lake Skinner Remote Area Weather Station (3100-RRU-2019-002)
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
9/11/2019
Document Description
The purpose of this project is for installation and future maintenance of a Remote Area Weather Station (RAWS) in the Southwestern Riverside County Multi-Species Reserve adjacent to Lake Skinner. The site is in the Auld Valley approximately 10 miles northeast of Temecula, California. The need for the RAWS is due to several factors including: the lack of RAWS coverage in that area, the abundant fire history for that area, the location of State Responsibility Area (SRA) adjacent to the community of Temecula and the amount of VMP burning CAL FIRE conducts for fuels reduction projects at the Lake Skinner State Preserve. A permanent RAWS station in that area will support the Fire Danger Operating plan with quantifying data to set the management decisions concerning dispatch levels and staffing levels, while using the data outputs during fuel reduction efforts to make sound management decisions for broadcast burning. These efforts will reduce the amount of fire starts in the SRA while reducing the acreage size of any starts due to the number of treated acres and due to the appropriate staffing levels made by the FDOP recognition. The RAWS station will be installed on a disturbed site near an existing tower that has an access trail in place. The project area consists of grassland at approximately 1660 feet in elevation. No new roads will be constructed. Installation will produce negligible levels of ground disturbance, as the installation requires onlythree eighteen-inch nails to set the three legs of the station in place. Existing roads will be utilized to transport materials to site, and for any maintenance activities once installed.
Contact Information
Name
Gregg Bratcher
Agency Name
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Name
Agency Name
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
Contact Types
Project Applicant
Location
Counties
Riverside
Other Location Info
Portion of Section 11 , T7S, R2W, SBB&M, Bachelor Mountain USGS 7.5 ' Quadrangle
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
15303
Reasons for Exemption
This project fits under portions of 3 Categorical Exemption "15303 New Construction or Conversion of Small Structures" - "Class 3 consists of construction and location of limited numbers of new, small, facilities or structures; installation of small new equipment and facilities in small structures; and the conversion of existing small structures from one use to another where only minor modifications are made in the exterior of the structure." 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 the CAL FIRE, Riverside Unit, 25380 Franklin Dr. Idyllwild CA, 92549.
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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