By-Day Creek Forest Heath Project
Summary
SCH Number
2023060208
Public Agency
California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Inland Deserts Region 6
(CDFW)
Document Title
By-Day Creek Forest Heath Project
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
6/7/2023
Document Description
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (“CDFW”) proposes to thin overstocked conifer stands, prune lower branches to remove hazardous ladder fuels and reduce surface fuels throughout the 460 acre By-Day Creek Ecological Reserve (BDCER) to reduce vertical and horizontal continuity of fuels and remove competition from many small, closely spaced, fire-vulnerable species into a smaller number of resilient larger trees, thereby improving overall fire resiliency.
The proposed treatments are derived from a forest management plan drafted by a registered professional forester in 2023. Specifically, trees 1-16 inches in diameter at breast height (dbh) will be thinned to improve spacing to 10 to 20 feet. The lower limbs of remaining trees will be pruned up to 18 feet high, but less than 50% of live crown. All cut and pre-existing slash material will be removed from a 100-foot buffer of By-Day Creek and all slash generated will be disposed of via pile burning, chipping, mastication or lopped and scattered. Some slash may be used to make wildlife piles at least 200 feet apart.
No new roads will be constructed. Work will be completed by hand crews and low-impact ground-based chippers, mowers, or similar equipment may be used for processing cut material.
Bird clearance surveys will be conducted within 21 days prior to initiating any project activities. Biological and vegetation surveys of the project area will also be conducted within 21 days of any work conducted to evaluate the current site conditions and to assess the presence/absence of special status plant or animal species. If special status plants, wildlife nursery sites, or active nests are found they will be appropriately buffered, or the treatment will be deferred or modified.
Pre-project surveys and project activities will commence in late summer 2023, or as access permits. Operations will continue, based on crew availability, until completed. Pile burning will occur as weather conditions permit.
Contact Information
Name
Aaron Johnson
Agency Name
CA Dept. of Fish & Wildlife
Job Title
Senior Environmental Scientist
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Location
Coordinates
Counties
Mono
Regions
Northern California
Zip
93517
Total Acres
460
Parcel #
007-200-001, 007-200-002, 007-200-011
State Highways
Hwy 395
Waterways
By-Day Creek/ Buckeye Creek
Township
5N
Range
24E
Section
21*
Base
MDBM
Other Location Info
California Department of Fish and Wildlife, By-Day Creek Ecological Reserve. https://wildlife.ca.gov/Lands/Places-to-Visit/By-Day-Creek-ER
Other Information
Sections 21, 22, and 28
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
Class 4; California Code of Regulations, title 14, section 15304
Reasons for Exemption
The project is Class 4, §15304 (Minor Alterations to Land) Exempt; the Project will result in minor alterations to land and vegetation on an officially designated ecological reserve that will result in improvement of habitat for fish and wildlife resources.
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
Class 7; California Code of Regulations, title 14, section 15307
Reasons for Exemption
The project is Class 7, §15307 (Actions by Regulatory Agencies for Protection of Natural Resources) Exempt; the Project includes actions taken by CDFW for the protection of natural resources on a designated ecological reserve to reduce the potential for high severity wildfire impacts on By-Day Creek and Lahontan Cutthroat trout.
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
Class 8; California Code of Regulations, title 14, section 15308
Reasons for Exemption
The project is Class 8, §15308 (Actions by Regulatory Agencies for Protection of the Environment) Exempt; the Project includes actions taken by CDFW for the protection of the environment on a designated ecological reserve to protect and improve wildlife habitat and reduce the potential for high severity wildfire impacts within the By-Day Creek Ecological Reserve.
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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