San Antonio Creek Defensible Space Project
Summary
SCH Number
2021070124
Public Agency
California State Coastal Conservancy
(SCC)
Document Title
San Antonio Creek Defensible Space Project
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
7/7/2021
Document Description
The proposed project consists of 10 shaded fuel reduction treatments totaling 70 acres located in the San Antonio Creek area of San Marcos Pass community in the foothills between Santa Barbara and Goleta. These treatments will reduce the potential for loss of life, property loss, and environmental damage during a wildfire. The project will utilize hand crews to remove dead vegetation, reducing ladder fuels, and to selectively thin standing vegetation. The existing fuel is predominately mature oak woodland with scattered chaparral. Crews will limb mature trees and prune off dead branches. The cut material will be chipped and spread uniformly on site. The shrub dominated areas will be treated with a residual mosaic approach, leaving scattered shrubs and islands of intact formation comprising approximately 50% of the original cover. No mature trees will be removed. No work will occur within 50 feet of a riparian corridor. The project will utilize the Santa Barbara County Fire Department Hand Crew to complete the fuel treatments.
Contact Information
Name
Rachel Couch
Agency Name
Coastal Conservancy Project Manager
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency / Responsible Agency
Phone
Email
Name
Robert Hazard
Agency Name
Santa Barbara County Fire Department
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency / Project Applicant / Parties Undertaking Project
Phone
Email
Location
Counties
Santa Barbara
Regions
Southern California, Unincorporated
Cross Streets
San Antonio Creek Road; Creek Lane; Via Chaparral; Camino del Rio
Zip
93110
Total Acres
24
Other Location Info
Unincorporated Santa Barbara County in and around San Antonio Creek Open Space.
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
15301; 15304; 15308
Reasons for Exemption
The work proposed is a minor alteration to vegetation which does not involve the removal of healthy, mature, scenic trees and is consistent with Categorical Exemption Class 4- Minor Alterations to Land. The project also involves maintenance ofexisting fire access roads and recreational area. A biological assessment has concluded that no listed species shall be adversely impacted by project activities. The limited nature of this project's footprint in relation to the amount of identical habitat available in the surrounding area further reduces the likely hood of any species (T & E or otherwise) being adversely affected by potential habitat modification due to the fuels reduction activities. SBC staff confirmed that no exceptions apply which would preclude the use of a Notice of Exemption for this project. 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, or to utilities and service systems. Documentation of the environmental review completed by the Department is kept on file at SBC Fire G IS, 4570 Hollister Ave, Santa Barbara 93 110.
County Clerk
Santa Barbara