Bouverie Preserve Fuel Reduction
Summary
SCH Number
2021020192
Public Agency
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
(CAL FIRE)
Document Title
Bouverie Preserve Fuel Reduction
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
2/10/2021
Document Description
Audubon Canyon Ranch (ACR) is planning 95 acres of fuel reduction thinning on the 535-acre Bouverie Preserve in Glen Ellen, California. ACR is a member of the Sonoma Valley Wildlands Collaborative (SVWC), a six-agency partnership, which was awarded CAL FIRE Fire Prevention grant 5GG18108. The entire Bouverie Preserve burned in the Nuns Fire in 2017 with varying degrees of severity. In an effort to improve forest health and increase future fire resiliency, nine thinning units were identified by vegetation type, including oak woodlands, mixed hardwood/mixed evergreen, and closed-cone conifer forest. Treatment types include thinning from below, removing ladder fuels, removing brush and vegetation, and lopping and scattering. All treatments will be carried out by contract hand crews according to prescriptions created by a contracted Registered Professional Forester. The only ground-disturbing activity that is anticipated is limited pile burning in 5 of the 9 identified treatment units to minimize surface fuels after treatment.
Contact Information
Name
Tim Holliday
Agency Name
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Email
Location
Counties
Sonoma
Cross Streets
Hwy 12 and Glenn Oaks Road
Total Acres
95
State Highways
12
Other Location Info
Portions of T6N R6W Sec 15 MDBM
Other Information
East of the community of Glen Ellen
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
Class 4 § 15304 Minor Alterations to Land
Reasons for Exemption
This project fits under the description of Class 4 §15304 Minor Alterations to Land. The project entails minor alteration of vegetation for the purpose of increasing forest health, promoting the growth of larger fire-resistant trees that sequester more carbon, and reducing the vertical and horizontal continuity of fuels and the volume of flammable vegetation. The activities do not result in the taking of endangered, rare, or threatened plant or animal species, or sedimentation to surface waters. The landowner will follow all cultural resource protection measures identified in the CAL FIRE approved Archeological Survey Report.
Field review by CAL FIRE staff confirmed that no exceptions apply which would preclude the use of a Notice of Exemption for this project. The project consists of minor treatments to land and vegetation in the form of brush removal and understory thinning via hand crews, and associated pile burning. This project will not convert forestland to non-forest uses, and all treated vegetation will have the ability to grow back. The Department 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, utilities and service systems, or to wildfire. Documentation of the environmental review completed by the Department is kept on file at the Sonoma lake Napa Headquarters, 1199 Big Tree Road, Saint Helena, CA 94574.
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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