West End Donner Lake Community Wildfire Prevention Project
Summary
SCH Number
2023090087
Public Agency
Truckee Fire Protection District
Document Title
West End Donner Lake Community Wildfire Prevention Project
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
9/7/2023
Document Description
The project area is located within undeveloped HOA owned open space land at the West End of Donner Lake, and is an integral part of the TFPD’s landscape fuel reduction strategy aimed at protecting the Truckee community and Wildland Urban Interface from future catastrophic wildfire events. This fuel reduction treatment is strategically placed adjacent to at risk communities in order to moderate the movement of wildfire, provide safer access for resources related to suppression activities, and ultimately facilitate in the protection of life and property for surrounding communities.
Manual thinning with hand crews and tracked chipping are the fuels reduction treatments proposed throughout the 20-acre project area. The prescription includes motor-manual thinning of small diameter (less than 12” DBH) conifers and shrubs to achieve adequate vertical and horizontal spacing. All brush under the dripline of trees plus 2 feet will be manually removed. Overall, 75% of brush will be reduced across the project area. Residual material will be chipped via a tracked chipper. Emphasis will be placed on eliminating the continuity of surface and ladder fuels.
Contact Information
Name
Dillon Sheedy
Agency Name
Truckee Fire Protection District
Job Title
Forester #3175
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency / Parties Undertaking Project
Address
Phone
Location
Cities
Truckee
Counties
Nevada
Regions
Northern California
Total Acres
20
Township
17N
Range
15E
Section
14, 15
Base
MDM
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 proposed project qualifies for a Categorical Exemption under CEQA Guidelines Section 15304. Pursuant to Section 15304, Class 4 consists of minor private alterations of vegetation which do not involve removal of healthy, mature, scenic trees. The project involves removal of small diameter understory trees and brush species to reduce the vertical and horizontal continuity of forest fuels and to reduce wildfire intensity and severity adjacent to high risk communities. Field review by Truckee Fire Protection District Forester confirmed that fuel clearance in the project area is required to reduce hazardous fire conditions near structures and no exceptions apply which would preclude the use of a Notice of Exemption for this project. The project consists of minor treatments to land and vegetation in the form of hand thinning and chipping. The trees being removed are in a suppressed state and are not considered healthy. The activities do not result in the taking of endangered, rare, or threatened plant or animal species, or sedimentation to surface waters. This project will not convert forestland to non-forest uses, and all treated vegetation will have the ability to grow back. The Truckee Fire Protection District has concluded that no significant environmental impact would occur to aesthetics, agriculture and forestland/timberland, air quality, biological resources, cultural resources, 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/traffic, utilities and service systems, or to wildfire.
County Clerk
Nevada
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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