Disaster Recovery of Private Lands in California – Crane Mills (August Complex)
Summary
SCH Number
2023100238
Public Agency
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
(CAL FIRE)
Document Title
Disaster Recovery of Private Lands in California – Crane Mills (August Complex)
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
10/9/2023
Document Description
CAL FIRE, through Disaster Relief Funds provided by the United State Forest Service, would allocate funds to expedite priority restoration measures in high severity burn areas on approximately 2,528 acres footprint of privately owned timberland (owned and managed by Crane Mills) within generally proximity to the community of Peskenta, Ca. Allocated funding supports the broader goal of post fire recovery and forest health and resiliency. Funding, as it relates to on the ground treatments, will focus entirely upon tree and woody debris removal (chipping, mastication, piling, burning or transportation), site preparation, control of competing vegetation, tree planting, post planting vegetation control. The project supports a local workforce within a census designated priority population. In addition to the short-term benefit of restoring and reforesting severely burned forested acres, implementation of the project would promote resilience in the natural ecosystem services, such as overall watershed improvements through improved regulation of surface runoff and groundwater infiltration, increased uptake of carbon dioxide, provide for slope stabilization, and restoration of lost forest-based habitat for species that rely upon these environments. Treatments by treatment activity within the project footprint are as follows: Mastication – 2,014 acres, Pile Burning-514 acres, Piling (Manually) -81 acres, Piling (Mechanical)-433 acres, vegetation control through manual application of herbicide – 2528 acres, Tree planning – 455 acres
Contact Information
Name
Topher Byrd
Agency Name
CAL FIRE
Job Title
Statewide Reforestation Coordinator - Forester II
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Email
Location
Cities
Paskenta
Counties
Tehama
Regions
Countywide
Total Acres
2528
Other Location Info
Within portions of T23N – R8W, Secs 35, 36; T24N – R8W, Sec 19; T24N – R8W, Secs 3, 6, 8, 17, 18, 19, 21, 28, 29, 30; T24N – R9W, Secs 1,11, 12, 23, 24, 25; T25N – R8W, Secs 5, 6, 7, 16, 17, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 34, 35, 36 and T25N – R9W, Secs 12 (MDBM)
Other Information
Privately owned timberlands near Paskenta, CA
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Declared Emergency
Type, Section or Code
Sec. 21080(b)(3); 15269(a)
Reasons for Exemption
Pursuant to CEQA Section 21080(b)(3) and CEQA Guidelines Section 15269(a) a project is exempt from CEQA when it “maintain[s], repair[s], restore[s]… property or facilities damaged or destroyed as a result of a disaster in a disaster stricken area in which a state of emergency has been proclaimed by the Governor pursuant to the California Emergency Services Act, commencing with Section 8550 of the Government Code.” Implementation of the project would restore forested landscapes, restore carbon sequestration capacity of targeted forested landscapes, restore and increase capacity as it relates to above and below ground carbon storage, and restore forest habitat destroyed by the August Complex fires. The action is therefore exempt from CEQA because it would restore property damaged or destroyed as a result of a disaster for which a state of emergency was proclaimed, pursuant to CEQA Section 21080(b)(3) and CEQA Guidelines Section 15269(a).
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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