Yosemite National Park, Wawona and Yosemite West Road Hazard Tree and Biomass Removal
Summary
SCH Number
2022040572
Public Agency
Mariposa County Resource Conservation District
(MCRCD)
Document Title
Yosemite National Park, Wawona and Yosemite West Road Hazard Tree and Biomass Removal
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
4/27/2022
Document Description
This project will remove hazard trees and biomass as a continuation of the Mariposa County SSARR Fuels Reduction and Biomass Utilization project within Yosemite National Park and the communities of Wawona and Yosemite West The primary goal of the project is to remove hazard trees and biomass up to 200 feet from roadways on Federal, Mariposa County, and private lands. Small diameter green trees (<20"DBH) or hazard trees will be fallen . Biomass will be transported offsite and converted into electricity. The work is critical to meet the public safety and tree disposal needs stemming from widespread tree mortality in the southern Sierra Nevada. The project protects infrastructure and increases public safety by removing hazard trees and thinning fuels on critical corridors in High and Very High Severity Fire Hazard Zones. It also protects communities located within the Wildland Urban Interface, specifically Yosemite West and Wawona. This project also creates a fuel break in the event of wild land fire or if a prescribed fire is to be conducted. No work will be done within the bed , bank or channel of any existing drainage, or culturally sensitive sites within the project areas and sensitive biological resources will be flagged and avoided .
Contact Information
Name
Melinda Barrett
Agency Name
Mariposa County Resource Conservation District
Job Title
Executive Director
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Address
Phone
Location
Coordinates
Cities
Wawona
Counties
Mariposa
Regions
Countywide
Cross Streets
Wawona Rd and Chilnahualna Falls Rd
Zip
95389
Total Acres
1,653
Jobs
8
State Highways
CA 41
Schools
Wawona Elementary
Waterways
Merced River
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Statutory Exemption
Type, Section or Code
Section 4799.05(d)(1 ), Sec. 21080(b)(3); 15269(a)
Reasons for Exemption
The California Environmental Quality Act does not apply to prescribed fire, thinning, or fuel reduction projects undertaken on federal lands to reduce the risk of high-severity wildfire that have been reviewed under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) if the primary role of a state or local agency is providing funding or staffing for those projects. Mariposa County Resource Conservation District will provide grant funding to YNP to reduce forest fuels on federal land. All the proposed Project activities are included in the NEPA YNP Fire Management Plan Record of Decision (September 2019) Private lands are exempt based on the Governor's Proclamation of a State of Emergency October 30, 2015 due to tree mortality. Wawona and Yosemite West are within Very High Severity fire risk zones within Mariposa County which was designated by the Governor for this Emergency Project exemption (Sec.
21080(b)(3); 15269(a)).
County Clerk
Mariposa
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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