CAL FIRE California Climate Investment Grant Mineral King Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project 5GG20181
Summary
SCH Number
2021120363
Public Agency
Tulare County
Document Title
CAL FIRE California Climate Investment Grant Mineral King Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project 5GG20181
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
12/16/2021
Document Description
The California Climate Investment (CCI) Grant provides funding for projects related to the removal of dead or dying trees, hazardous fuel (vegetation) reduction, fire prevention education, and fire prevention planning. Reducing fuel along a vital evacuation route allows for the safe ingress or egress of civilians and first responders during a fast moving wildland fire. In addition to securing a vital evacuation route, the reduction of available vegetation will also reduce the wildfire threat to habitable structures within Tulare County and the State Responsibility Area (SRA). The Tulare County Fire Department intends to conduct fuel reduction activities including: physically removing or chipping vegetation along Mineral King Road adjacent to the community of Three Rivers.
The majority of this proposed project is located in the very high fire severity zone, with portions of the project in the high fire severity zone. This project will reduce vegetation and fuel located within 40 feet on either side of the roadway, creating an approximately 110 feet wide area and securing the only evacuation route. The overriding goal is to reduce the spread of wildland fire from Mineral King Road into the wildland/urban interface, and vice versa. The evacuation route addressed in this project is identified in the Tulare County Community Evacuation Plan as the only route of travel for inhabited structures in the area.
The public benefit of projects funded by CCI include reducing the risk of fire ignition and spreading, and adjacent to communities; educating owners of habitable structures about wildfire risks; allowing for strategic, long-term planning to reduce the risk of wildfire to communities in the SRA throughout the State; or removing dead or dying trees that pose a threat to public health and safety.
Contact Information
Name
Hector Guerra
Agency Name
Tulare County Resource Management Agency
Job Title
Chief Environmental Planner
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Location
Cities
Three Rivers
Counties
Tulare
Regions
Unincorporated
Other Location Info
Unincorporated community of Three Rivers in Tulare County, CA,
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Emergency Project
Type, Section or Code
Sec. 21080(b)(4); 15269(b)(c)
Reasons for Exemption
The proposed project is excluded or exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) on the grounds that the project is consistent with the following:
Public Resources Code Section 21080, subdivision (b) (4) (Emergency), and State CEQA Guidelines Section 15269, subdivision (c) (Emergency).
The County was successful in receiving $265,870 as requested in the grant application. This will be used to address the risk and potential of wildfire impacts on Mineral King Road that pose a threat to public health and safety within the SRA in the unincorporated communities of Three Rivers, Mineral King, Cabin Cove and Silver City.
Pursuant to State CEQA Guidelines Section 15359, an "Emergency" applies when a project is necessary " ... to prevent or mitigate loss of or damage to life, health, property or essential public services." As such, preventive efforts would be undertaken to remove dead or dying trees to protect essential public services (such as accessible roads) prior to the occurrence of catastrophic wildfire.
County Clerk
Tulare
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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