Shambhala Hazardous Fuel Reduction Project - CE 22-03

Summary

SCH Number
2022020524
Public Agency
Lake County
Document Title
Shambhala Hazardous Fuel Reduction Project - CE 22-03
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
2/23/2022
Document Description
This project is being funded by a CAL FIRE, Forest Health Grant utilizing funding from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. The project proposes to remove hazardous vegetation in CAL FIRE's highest priority areas in Lake County, where Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) fuel loads have created dangerous conditions and increased risk of catastrophic wildfire. Some of the identified fuel loads are a result of previous catastrophic wildfires; the Valley Fire (Sept. 2015) and the Mendocino Complex Fire (July 2018). The entire treatment area was burned in the Valley Fire. The goals of the work will be to promote natural regeneration and facilitate small areas of reforestation where appropriate, as well as to reduce the hazard of a future fire. To achieve this, workers will remove thick understory vegetation and ladder fuels; pile bum existing piles of cut dead wood; thin natural knob-cone regeneration; and remove dead trees. No healthy, living trees larger than 16"dbh will be removed unless they pose a serious threat to life or property. The work is intended to encourage the growth of healthy forests where possible; reduce the threat to ecosystem health, human life, and property in the event of a wildfire; and foster biodiversity while maintaining a lowered fire risk in areas that may never regrow as forest following the Valley Fire. Fuel reduction activities will avoid: • Sensitive habitat, including riparian areas or wetlands. • Cultural and historic sites. • Disturbance to individual specimens of rare, threatened, or endangered species. • Ground disturbance that could result in sediment delivery to watercourses. Fuel reduction activities will be carried out using a variety of methods including mastication, hand crews, chipping, grazing, hand piling and machine piling, dozers and prescribed burning. Overall ground disturbance will be kept to a minimum and stumps will not be removed or disturbed. No more than 1 cubic meter of soil will be disturbed per acre, in conformance with CAL FIRE' s guidelines. Any trees removed will be removed using the Tree Mortality Task Force Guidelines, 2016. No new roads or trails will be constructed. There will be no disturbance of known rare, threatened or endangered species or significant cultural resources.

Contact Information

Name
Victor Fernandez
Agency Name
County of Lake
Job Title
Associate Planner
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency

Location

Cities
Kelseyville
Counties
Lake
Regions
Northern California
Cross Streets
Bottle Rock Road
Zip
95451
Parcel #
011-004-57, 011-004-51, 011-004-09, 011-004-12
State Highways
Highway 175
Railways
N/A
Airports
N/A
Schools
N/A
Waterways
Creek

Notice of Exemption

Exempt Status
Emergency Project
Type, Section or Code
Sec. 21080(b)(4); 15269(b)(c)
Reasons for Exemption
This fuel reduction project focuses on management of the excessive fuel loads around the Wildland Urban Interface in Lake County. It is directly related to several catastrophic wildfires that the County has endured, two of which were declared emergencies. The Valley Fire was declared an emergency on September 13, 2015 and The Mendocino Complex was declared an emergency on July 28, 2018. Additionally, the existing and prolonged drought conditions in the State are contributing to the increased rick of catastrophic stand-replacing wildfire and increased risk of loss of life and property. Several Proclamations of State of Emergency related to extreme DROUGHT conditions and increased risk of catastrophic wildfire have been issued by Governor Gavin Newsom. The project meets the criteria for emergency exemptions because it will maintain and repair property damaged by wildfire, protect public facilities essential to public health and safety, and will prevent or mitigate future and imminent wildfire emergencies. The Lake County Community Development Department finds that this project complies with the intent and overall direction of the State Proclamations of Emergency and is thereby exempt from the provisions of CEQA.
County Clerk
Lake

Attachments

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