TAFIC Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project IV
Summary
SCH Number
2023070173
Public Agency
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
(CAL FIRE)
Document Title
TAFIC Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project IV
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
7/11/2023
Document Description
The proposed Fuel Reduction Project would be carried out by the Timberview Area Firewise Improvement Council (TAFIC). The Project area is located on approximately 30 acres, west of Teaford Saddle Road in the North Fork area of Madera County at an elevation of approximately 3,500 msl. The project will occur on private rural residential lands. The Project area vegetation was primarily pine, cedar and oak woodland with shrubs, and grasslands and 80-90% of the pines were lost to the bark beetle. The vegetation community can recover quickly from mastication treatment, which is necessary due to the bark beetle. There will be both types of mastication as in the previous Phase I fuel reduction CAL FIRE project. Mechanical mastication would be utilized to chip, grind, and shred vegetation on site and manual mastication would be used to remove dead fall on the ground, by chipping, hand cutting, and some piling. No live trees will be cut or removed, only underbrush. Small dead trees may be felled. No burning will occur. There are seasonal creeks in the area, but none of them will be disturbed.
Contact Information
Name
Brain Mattos
Agency Name
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE)
Job Title
Forester I
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Email
Location
Cities
North Fork area of Madera County
Counties
Madera
Regions
Southern California
Total Acres
30
Other Location Info
The Project area is located on approximately 30 acres, west of Teaford Saddle Road in the North Fork area of Madera County at an elevation of approximately 3,500 msl.
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 the description for a Class 4 Categorical Exemption under CEQA. Class 4, Section 15304 is for Minor Alterations to Land. This fuel reduction project is exempt because there will not be removal of healthy, mature, or scenic trees, only deadfall. This exemption also covers fuel management activities. The Project will not have negative cumulative impacts, will not damage a scenic resource, and is not located on a hazardous waste site. There was a cultural survey done within the past four years and all sensitive areas were marked. The Creek Fire resulted in evacuation of this community. As a designated Firewise organization TAFIC is continually working with local, county and State agencies to promote a fire safe community. 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/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, populations and housing, public services, recreation, transportation/ traffic, utilities and service systems, or to wildfire. Documentation of the environmental review completed by the Department is kept on file at MMU Unit Headquarters in Mariposa, CA.
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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