Butte Unit Station 35 Fuels Reduction Project
Summary
SCH Number
2022080135
Public Agency
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
(CAL FIRE)
Document Title
Butte Unit Station 35 Fuels Reduction Project
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
8/8/2022
Document Description
This project will reduce fuels and control the spread of invasive broom on an approximately 11-acre CALFIRE parcel in the Town of Paradise. The parcel is located off Forest Service and Moore Rd in the northern end of Paradise, Butte County. This parcel is forested with a maximum slope of 16% and an elevation of around 2100’. The project area is located within the Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, which identifies this area of high risk for large scale wildland fires. The project area was impacted in the 2018 Camp Fire. This high severity burn caused an explosion of invasive woody perennials on the station’s parcel that this project intends to mitigate. This project will also utilize herbicide application to cause mortality with the intent to eradicate an invasive broom (Genista monspessulana, Cytisus scoparius and Spartium junceum) infestation within the station’s parcel. All three broom species have a Cal-IPC rating of high. This means that these species have severe ecological impacts on physical processes, plant and animal communities, and vegetation structure as well as attributes that are conducive to moderate to high rates of dispersal and establishment. Treatment methods will include hand cutting, herbicide application, and landscape broadcast burning. Hand cutting will be conducted using hand tools and chainsaws to thin live trees, remove hazard and down trees, and remove ladder fuels. Trees greater than 12 in DBH will be reviewed by an RPF or designee prior to removal. Herbicide application will be directed spray from backpack pumps using glyphosate or triclopyr depending on time of year. The primary target of the herbicide application is broom, other woody non-native perennials may also be targeted for reduction. Cut vegetation may be chipped and scattered, lopped, or piled and burned. There are existing containment lines on the parcel from legacy broadcast burns that will be reused. Reestablishment of the containment lines will only require the use of hand tools to clear the leaves and litter. No heavy equipment will be used in this project.
Contact Information
Name
Calvin Davison
Agency Name
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
Job Title
Environmental Scientist
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Location
Cities
Paradise
Counties
Butte
Regions
Countywide
Cross Streets
Forest Service and Moore Rd
Total Acres
11
Other Location Info
Portions of T22N, R3E, Sec 1 MDBM
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
Class 4 § 15304 Minor Alterations to Land
Reasons for Exemption
This project fits under Class 4 of Categorical Exemptions to CEQA: Minor Alterations to Land. The project activities would occur within previously burned areas, control lines have been previously established, so new line would not have to be built.
Field review by CAL FIRE staff confirmed that no exceptions apply that 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 or 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 or traffic, utilities and service systems, or to wildfire. Documentation of the environmental review completed by the Department is kept on file at CAL FIRE Office, 6640 Steiffer Rd, Magalia CA 95954.
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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