CE 23-49 Soda Bay Corridor Hazard Tree Removal
Summary
SCH Number
2023120033
Public Agency
Lake County
Document Title
CE 23-49 Soda Bay Corridor Hazard Tree Removal
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
12/4/2023
Document Description
The purpose of this project is to improve public safety and evacuation route readiness by removing hazardous trees and adjacent understory shrub mitigation along 13 miles of Point Lakeview Road and Soda Bay Road (referred to as the Soda Bay Corridor) in the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) on CalFire State Responsibility Area (SRA) lands. All identified hazard trees are within the County of Lake right-of-way, roadside easement. Hazard trees are defined as trees that are dead, dying, exhibiting significant defects and/or pose an imminent threat to public safety.
The Soda Bay Corridor has been adversely impacted by a prolonged drought, which has resulted in the loss and degradation of many large, drought weakened, native knobcone pines and non-native gray pines. These trees are highly flammable, and many are presently leaning toward the roadway. These trees are now contributing to the fuel load near this critical infrastructure, which is a primary ingress and egress for a large number of residential communities along the Soda Bay Corridor. The intent of this project is to decrease the threat of these weakened and dead trees from inhibiting the critical evacuation route in a time of need and lessen the contribution to fuel load along this vulnerable corridor, as to reduce the threat of and during a significant wildfire event.
This project proposes the cutting and removal of approximately 100 hazard trees along the corridor by a licensed contractor. The removed wood will be delivered to an off-site location for disposal. The trees have been mapped and photographed.
There will be no disturbance of known rare, threatened or endangered species or significant cultural resources.
Contact Information
Name
Katherine Schaefers
Agency Name
County of Lake
Job Title
Resource Planner
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Location
Cities
Unincorporated Kelseyville
Counties
Lake
Regions
Countywide
Other Location Info
Soda Bay Road/Point Lakeview Road County Easements
Soda Bay Rd. Milepost 6.20 to milepost 12.77
Pt. Lakeview Dr. Milepost 0.45 to 6.68
Other Information
All trees are located within the County ROW, but the associated APNs are: 008-029-09, 010-007-33, 010-007-36, 010-007-49, 010-007-57, 010-027-06, 010-027-12, 012-066-14, 012-066-71, 012-066-72, 044-382-02, 044-532-05, 044-532-06, 044-532-16, 045-144-01
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
California Code of Regulations Title 14, Division 6, Chapter 3, Article 19, Section 15301(c) and 15304(i)
Reasons for Exemption
This hazardous tree removal project meets the criteria for the Categorical Exemptions Section 15301(c) Maintenance of existing highways, streets and street trees and Section 15304(i) Minor Alterations to Land.
Project activities will be accomplished through the use of hand crews and hand tools, and stumps will not be removed or disturbed, thereby resulting in no soil disturbance. There will be no disturbance of known rare, threatened or endangered species or significant cultural resources. All trees felled will be removed from the site.
The project will remove dead and dying trees from within the roadway easement in the Soda Bay Corridor; thereby removing materials that could serve as fuels for future wildfires while reducing the immediate threat to roadways and the public.
County Clerk
Lake
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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