Parkwide Defensible Space and Boundary Vegetation Modifications

Parkwide Defensible Space and Boundary Vegetation Modifications

Conduct vegetation modification within Folsom Lake State Recreation Area for wildfire resilience and fuel management. Work will be completed by Department staff, Department-hired contractors, and/or by issuing Right of Entry (ROE) Permits to adjacent property owners to allow the permittee’s contractor to perform necessary vegetation modifications that are consistent with all Department guidelines and policies. All activities will adhere to the following standard conditions: •No healthy, mature, scenic trees will be removed unless doing so meets forest management goals for the park as determined by the Senior Environmental Scientist. •Pruning will follow techniques outlined in the Department’s “Vegetation Management Guidelines for Trails and Roads in Units of the California State Park System” (January 8, 2002). •Implement appropriate avoidance and minimization measures to reduce the risk of damaging elderberry shrubs, which serve as a host plant to the federally listed valley elderberry longhorn beetle (VELB). •Heavy equipment shall not operate or stage within the root health zone of retained trees, defined as an area five (5) times the diameter at breast height (DBH). •Dispose of debris from vegetation management/brushing activities as follows (listed in order of preferred method): o Chip and broadcast (away from all drainages and tree trunks and not exceed 4 inches deep in any given area), scatter, and/or pile and burn. Piles may only be lit on approved burn days, by qualified fire-trained crews with all appropriate permit and entries. o If herbicides are approved for use, they will be limited to a DPR-approved list. •Develop a site-specific strategy to ensure resource management goals are met and to address existing invasive plant species, including monitoring and follow-up treatments as necessary. For Permittee and State contractors: •Notify DPR District Specialists by email, at least 14 days prior to the start of any proposed work; do not proceed until site review work has been completed and, if deemed necessary, have any area-specific conditions identified in writing by the specialists; •Complete work only during periods identified by Specialists to protect sensitive species or habitats; •Have work completed or monitored by Department staff or DPR-approved contract personnel; and •Unless otherwise specified in the terms of their permit, private homeowners and their contractor(s) shall not use herbicides. Further details regarding the work proposed as well as measures to be implemented to avoid impacts to the environment may be obtained by submitting a request to the project Environmental Coordinator listed below. Work will comply with all State and Federal environmental laws, including but not limited to the Endangered Species Act, California Environmental Quality Act, Section 5024 of the Public Resources Code, and all conditions identified in the Right of Entry Permit; and be coordinated with the Gold Field District’s staff as identified in the Right of Entry Permit.

Northern California