Mesa Vista Extension PTA
6 Documents in Project
Summary
SCH Number
2020120147
Public Agency
Alpine County
Document Title
Mesa Vista Extension PTA
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
3/20/2025
Document Description
The project is located within the community of Woodfords, California. The project area is a 121 acre treatment area encompassed by HWY-89 to Paynesville California located approximately ½ mile to the northeast. The project area is dominated by native sagebrush habitat of California Wildlife Habitat Relationship (CWHR) size class varies. The proposed project will reduce the continuity of sagebrush in effort to reduce hazardous fuel loading and arrangement such that the flame length, intensity, rate of spread, and duration of potential wildfire is reduced. The proposed project will 1) Utilize mechanical mastication to reduce the extent of sagebrush on site, targeting 70% of the sage for mastication, 2) leave remaining sagebrush in a discontinuous, mosaic fashion of 30% for habitat which will not contribute to horizontal or vertical fuels, and 3) off-haul and/or chip/mulch debris for in the masticated zones to retain soil moisture and aid in fire resilience. No conifer snags are located in the Mesa Vista, and no harvestable timber is being utilized. The desired, post treatment conditions will not contribute to initiating or sustaining a crown fire and will have projected flame lengths of less than 2 feet in the surface fuels, with increased resilience to wildfire. The resulting stand would appear well thinned with the primary carrier of the fire being leaves and/or grasses. The proposed action will effectively reduce hazardous fuels within the project area.
Contact Information
Name
Sam Booth
Agency Name
County of Alpine
Job Title
Community Development Director
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Location
Coordinates
Cities
Markleeville
Counties
Alpine
Regions
Countywide
Cross Streets
Sunrise Trail, Emigrant Trail, Nevada Rd., California Rd., Diamondview
Zip
96120
Total Acres
121
Jobs
5
State Highways
SR88
Township
11N
Range
19E
Section
24
Base
MDMB
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
Class 4; California Code of Regulations, title 14, section 15304
Reasons for Exemption
This project fits under Categorical Exemption: 15304 Minor Alterations to Land (Class 4) which allows minor alteration of vegetation including fuel management activities to reduce volume of flammable vegetation, provided the activities do not result in the taking of endangered, rare, or threatened plant/animal species or cause significant erosion and sedimentation of waters. The removal of brush will be restricted to those that reduce the vertical and horizontal continuity of fuels, and/or provide for improved ingress/egress in the event of wildfire. The proposed project has been designed to protect hydrology and soil resources to prevent significant erosion or sedimentation. The project, as designed, is consistent with the use of a Categorical Exemption. Field review by County staff confirmed that no exceptions apply that would preclude the use of a notice of exemption for this project. The County has concluded that no significant environmental impact would occur to aesthetics, agriculture and forestland or timberland, air quality, biological resources, cultural resources, energy, 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, utilities and service systems or to wildfire. Documentation of the environmental review completed by the Department is kept on file at the Alpine County Community Development Department, 50 Diamond Valley Road, Markleeville, CA 96120.
County Clerk
Alpine
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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