Mill Creek Trail Improvement Project
Summary
SCH Number
2020020283
Public Agency
California Regional Water Quality Control Board, North Coast Region 1
(RWQCB)
Document Title
Mill Creek Trail Improvement Project
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
2/13/2020
Document Description
The Project is intended to protect a grove of old-growth redwoods recently discovered in 1998. This area is known as the "Grove of Titans" and was not included in the park's original design for visitor access. As the location of the grove spread online in 2011, unsanctioned visits have increased exponentially. Without any official trails in the grove, visitors have heavily trampled the forest floor vegetation and stripped away the organic apron around every large tree. By 2016, over 3,000 square meters of forest floor had been damaged (Voigt 20161). The existing Mill Creek Trail runs along the south and east edges of the grove but does not provide access into the grove. Visitors have created a network of user-created trails, which are damaging to the forest understory and the root systems of the trees. The proposed reroute would guide visitors into the grove and allow them to get close to the trees without damaging the forest floor. The project would also include reconstruction of the existing Mill Creek Trail from Howland Hill Road to the Hiouchi Trail and rehabilitation of the unsanctioned user-created trails.
Contact Information
Name
Johnathan Warmerdam
Agency Name
North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Name
Agency Name
CA State Parks
Contact Types
Project Applicant
Location
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
15304
Reasons for Exemption
Minor Alterations to Land (d)
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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