La Cima Conservation Camp Roadside Brushing Project
Summary
SCH Number
2021100375
Public Agency
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
(CAL FIRE)
Document Title
La Cima Conservation Camp Roadside Brushing Project
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
10/21/2021
Document Description
The La Cima Conservation Camp (LCM) Roadside Brushing Project proposes vegetation maintenance for a distance of 20 feet from the edge of both sides of the access road to LCM for a total width of 40 feet, will be approximately four miles in length and result in the treatment of approximately 20 acres. Treatment will include reducing the existing fuel loading of mixed chaparral vegetation by approximately 80 to 90%. No live trees will be removed. Annual grasses and forbs will be left untreated. Shrub vegetation will be cut at ground level and root structures left in place to reduce the potential for erosion. Most of the project work will be implemented with an excavator with a masticator head attachment that will be positioned on the access road and will work exclusively from the road. CAL FIRE hand crews, using manual methods, will treat the vegetation in areas that are inaccessible to the excavator and in drainages where appropriate. All treated vegetation will be either masticated or chipped on site with chips spread to a depth of three inches or less.
LCM is located at 15108 Sunrise Highway, approximately 4.25 miles southeast of the unincorporated community of Julian in San Diego County. The project site is located on land owned by the Department of Parks and Recreation and leased to Cal Fire and consists of: CAL FIRE/CDCR office building, officer’s sleeping quarters, Inmate barracks, kitchen/mess hall, automotive shop, crew vehicle storage building, fuel house and warehouse and other small support structures. The surrounding environmental setting is comprised of steep, mountainous terrain, in montane chaparral with isolated stands of mixed conifer forest. La Cima Conservation Camp is in a rural area with controlled public access and is accessed by a private road four miles from the Sunrise Highway.
Contact Information
Name
Cheyenne Borello
Agency Name
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Location
Counties
San Diego
Total Acres
20
Other Location Info
Portions of Rancho Cuyamaca Spanish Land Grant and T14S, R4E, Sec 11 SBBM
Other Information
Approximately 4.25 miles southeast of the unincorporated community of Julian in San Diego County
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
Class 4 § 15304 Minor Alterations to Land
Reasons for Exemption
The project is consistent with Categorical Exemption: 15304, Class 4 Minor Alteration to the Land. After completing an environmental analysis, the Department has determined this project will have no significant impact on the environment. This determination is based on field assessments, a CNDDB search, greenhouse gas emission calculations, and archaeological review completed by CAL FIRE Archaeological staff.
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 Department has concluded that no significant environmental impact would occur to aesthetics, agriculture and forestland/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/traffic, utilities and service systems or to wildfire. Documentation of the environmental review completed by the Department is retained on file at CAL FIRE MVU Headquarters in El Cajon.
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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