Trinity Community Protection and Landscape Resilience Project
Summary
SCH Number
2019100021
Public Agency
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
(CAL FIRE)
Document Title
Trinity Community Protection and Landscape Resilience Project
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
9/30/2019
Document Description
The Wateshed Research and Training Center (WRTC), plans to implement fuels reduction and prescribed burning activities on the Tule Creek Ranch. The Tule Creek Ranch is a 420-acre contiguous-private land ownership, that is an integral part of the Watershed Research and Training Center's (WRTC) landscape strategy aimed at protecting the community ofHayfork from future catastrophic wildfire events. Hazardous fuel reduction and prescribed fire is the primary treatment proposed throughout the project area. Pre-burn fuel treatments that help to minimize fire intensities, especially adjacent to habitable structures and critical infrastructure, will occur where necessary on the property. Pre-fire treatments include handline construction, and fuels reduction in the form of hand thinning (with chainsaws) to remove suppressed trees (less than 10" DBH) and brush/shrubs in strategic locations to reduce fire intensities and protect residual trees. All species will be thinned, and the residual materials will be treated by piling and burning, chipping, and/or lop and scatter. All prescribed burning will be completed under a prescribed fire burn plan approved by the State Fire Management Officer. An approved prescribed fire plan is already in place for the property and burn units are subdivided by natural features on the landscape (roads, watercourses, etc.) to facilitate control efforts and manage smoke impacts based on burn day smoke dispersion. Broadcast burning will be implemented during appropriate environmental conditions that will allow us to meet our resource objectives as per the prescribed fire burn plan. Burns will be conducted using hand ignition and other standard prescribed fire methods. Burn prescriptions would aim to reduce surface fuel loading 25-85% and understory woody vegetative cover by 15-65% from pre-burn levels. Our prescribed fire objectives include; reducing the risk of catastrophic wildfire, stimulating the growth of woody shrubs, oaks, and conifers, increasing water yields, meadow and oak restoration, encouraging the return of native grasses by reducing non-natives invasive plants, reducing conifer encroachment into the oak woodland and grassland areas.
Contact Information
Name
Dillon Sheedy
Agency Name
California Departement of Forestry and Fire Protection (CALFIRE)
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Address
Phone
Location
Cities
Hayfork
Counties
Trinity
Township
31N
Range
12W
Section
16,21
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
Type/Section: Class 4 § 15304 Minor Alterations to Land
Reasons for Exemption
It has been determined that no exceptions apply which would preclude the use of a Notice of Exemption for this project. This project is consistent with the requirements stated in Section 15304; Minor Alterations to land, and will have no significant environmental impacts 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 2180 Harvard St., Suite 200, Sacramento, CA 95815.
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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