Mountain Rim Fire Safe Council-Abatement Assistance 2020
Summary
SCH Number
2020100360
Public Agency
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
(CAL FIRE)
Document Title
Mountain Rim Fire Safe Council-Abatement Assistance 2020
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
10/20/2020
Present Land Use
Rural residential
Document Description
The project area is comprised of mixed conifer forests at an elevation of approximately 5,000’-6,500’ within private lands in the local sphere of influence of the Mountain Rim Fire Safe Council (MRFSC) and Arrowhead Communities Fire Safe Council (ACFSC). Communities that will benefit from this project include Crestline, Green Valley Lake, Arrowbear, Running Springs, Twin Peaks, Skyforest, Rimforest, Big Bear Lake and Lake Arrowhead in the San Bernardino Mountains. The area for the project is approximately 145 square miles/92,000 acres; an estimated 52,000 parcels with approximately 48,000 habitable structures. Cumulative acreage to be treated is estimated at approximately 250 acres, based upon treating 380 homes at an average of .66 acre per parcel.
This project focuses on assisting property owners with bringing their property into compliance with fire hazard abatement guidelines. This will include removing all dead plants, grass and weeds; removal of dead or dry leaves and pine needles from the yard, roof and rain gutters; and pruning trees to a minimum of six feet above the ground or half the tree height, whichever is less. This project may involve hazardous tree felling, chipping of branches (onsite or haul away), brush removal and possible removal of logs from the site resulting from tree felling. Trees will either be climbed and cut into sections which will be lowered to the ground using ropes, cut from the ground, or cut utilizing bucket trucks. All branches will be lopped and/or chipped onsite. If tree logs need to be removed from the project site, then the logs will be cut into firewood size lengths and removed by hand to minimize ground disturbance. All trees will be felled in the least ground-disturbing manner feasible. Slash created from the fuel abatement will be brought to an existing road and chipped. The chips will be broadcast back onto the soil surface. No equipment will be used off of the existing road surface.
Contact Information
Name
David Haas
Agency Name
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Email
Name
Agency Name
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE)
Contact Types
Project Applicant
Location
Counties
San Bernardino
Total Acres
250
Other Location Info
Portions of T2N, R2W Sec. 22, 31-34; T2N, R3W Sec. 1, 8-11, 13-23, 26-30; T1N, R2W Sec. 4-6; T1N, R3W Sec. 1; T2N, R4W Sec. 13-28, 34; and T1N, R4W Sec. 2-3 SBBD
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
Class 4, 15304 Minor Alterations to Land
Reasons for Exemption
15304 (i): Fuel management activities within 30 feet of structures to reduce the volume of flammable vegetation, provided that the activities will not result in the taking of endangered, rare, or threatened plant or animal species or significant erosion and sedimentation of surface waters. This exemption shall apply to fuel management activities within 100 feet of a structure if the public agency having fire protection responsibility for the area has determined that 100 feet of fuel clearance is required due to extra hazardous fire conditions.
Field review by Tim Morin, RPF #2505, confirmed that no exceptions apply which would preclude the use of a Notice of Exemption for this project. The RPF 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 RPF is kept on file at CAL FIRE’s BDU Headquarters in San Bernardino.
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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