Notice of Exemption Additional Information for the Caldor Forest and Community Restoration Project – Roadside Hazard Tree Mitigation
Summary
SCH Number
2023070644
Public Agency
El Dorado County Resource Conservation District
Document Title
Notice of Exemption Additional Information for the Caldor Forest and Community Restoration Project – Roadside Hazard Tree Mitigation
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
7/31/2023
Document Description
The project would involve removal of hazard trees from within 200 feet of National Forest Service roads maintenance level 1 through 5 and along identified State, county, local and private roads through the ENF within the Caldor Fire boundary. Standing hazard trees taller than 200 feet within striking distance of the roadway, and healthy trees that otherwise pose a threat to public or worker safety would also be removed. All healthy, live trees regardless of age class that do not pose a threat to people or property would be retained.
Contact Information
Name
Mark Egbert
Agency Name
El Dorado Resource Conservation District
Job Title
District Manager
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency / Project Applicant
Phone
Email
Location
Counties
El Dorado
Regions
Countywide
Other Location Info
The project is in eastern El Dorado County, California within the Caldor Fire footprint. The project area includes U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service (USFS)National Forest System roads and State, county, local and private roads on Forest Service System lands managed by the USFS Eldorado National Forest (ENF). The legal description of the project area is presented in Table 1.
Table 1. Legal Description
Township and Range Section
T08N R13E 1-3
T08N R14E 2-8
T09N R13E 1-4, 6, 9, 11-16, 19-25, 27-30, 32-36
T09N R14E 1-35
T09N R15E 1-22
T09N R16E 2-9, 12-18
T09N R17E 5, 6, 7
T10N R12E 24, 35-36
T10N R13E 10-28, 32-36
T10N R14E 1-5, 7-12, 16-36
T10N R15E 1-36
T10N R16E 1-8, 10-22, 27-35
T10N R17E 3-10, 18-22, 29, 32
T10N R18E 7, 18
T11N R13E 35-36
T11N R14E 25-29, 31-36
T11N R15E 22, 26-27, 29-35
T11N R16E 1, 3-5, 8-12, 15-27, 29-30
T11N R17E 7-21, 28-30
T11N R18E 6-7, 18
Note: Sections shown are Public Land Survey System sections that contain project roadways and are in or partially in: 1) ENF; 2) Caldor Fire boundary; and 3) in El Dorado County and excepting areas located within Desolation Wilderness Area or designated Roadless Areas.
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Statutory Exemption
Type, Section or Code
Public Resources Code Section 4799.05(d)(1)
Reasons for Exemption
Public Resources Code Section 4799.05(d)(1), as amended by Assembly Bill 211 (effective September 27, 2022) exempts from the requirements of CEQA prescribed fire, reforestation, habitat restoration, thinning, and fuel reduction projects, and other related activities included in the project description, including the issuance of permits or other approvals for those projects, undertaken in whole or in part, on federal lands to reduce the risk of high-severity wildfire that have been reviewed under the federal National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) if the role of the state or local agency is to provide funding or staffing for those projects, or if the state or local agency is undertaking the projects pursuant to the federal Good Neighbor Authority (Public Law 113-79) or a stewardship agreement with the federal government entered into pursuant to Public Law 113-79.
The USFS has completed the NEPA process for the proposed project activities with approval of the EA/FONSI and Decision Notice on April 24, 2023 for the Eldorado National Forest Roadside Hazard Tree Mitigation Project (USDA Forest Service 2023a, b). The proposed project would remove dead and dying trees from within 200 feet of roadways on ENF lands in the Caldor Fire burn area; thereby removing materials that could serve as fuels for future wildfires while reducing the immediate threat to roadways and the public.
RCD is a special district of the State. RCD is responsible for providing staffing to implement the proposed project, which is being undertaken pursuant to a Stewardship Agreement with the USFS.
County Clerk
El Dorado
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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