Upper Middle Yuba Watershed Forest Restoration: NEPA Planning (SNC 1688)
Summary
SCH Number
2024030322
Public Agency
Sierra Nevada Conservancy
Document Title
Upper Middle Yuba Watershed Forest Restoration: NEPA Planning (SNC 1688)
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
3/11/2024
Document Description
The Sierra Nevada Conservancy (SNC) would provide funding to the Nevada Irrigation District (NID), in partnership with the Tahoe National Forest (TNF), for project #1688 Upper Middle Yuba Watershed Forest Restoration: NEPA Planning. It is a planning effort to develop forest restoration and fuels reduction treatment plans and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analysis on at least 2,000 acres of TNF lands within the headwaters of the Middle Yuba River watershed. The project is adjacent to Jackson Meadows and Milton reservoirs on the Sierraville Ranger District, TNF, in Nevada and Sierra counties. The project will complete the necessary environmental compliance and forestry/fuels planning to define and prepare at least 2,000 acres for potential future treatment to return the Middle Yuba River headwaters region to a healthier state. The project will conduct surveys, reporting, and consultation associated with biological, hydrological, and archaeological resources; finalize forest restoration and fuels reduction treatment plans; and prepare draft NEPA documents. Project activities include only the planning, resource surveys, environmental analysis, and coordination to develop NEPA environmental documents for potential future forest-treatment projects. There will be no ground or resource disturbance as part of this planning project. None of the planning or analysis activities to be conducted under this proposed project will have a legally binding effect on future activities, or for a possible future project, which an agency has already approved, adopted, or funded.
Contact Information
Name
Mary Akens
Agency Name
Sierra Nevada Conservancy
Job Title
Legal Counsel
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Location
Cities
Approximately four miles southeast of Sierra City
Counties
Nevada, Sierra
Regions
Northern California
Other Location Info
Approximately 2,000-acre planning project located adjacent to Jackson Meadows and Milton reservoirs on the Sierraville Ranger District, Tahoe National Forest, in Nevada and Sierra counties.
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Statutory Exemption
Type, Section or Code
Pub. Resources Code, Section 21150; CEQA Guidelines, Section 15262, Feasibility and Planning Studies
Reasons for Exemption
The planning activities under this project are resource surveys, data analysis, and coordination and outreach towards the development of a forest-treatment plan and environmental compliance documents considering potential future forest-management projects, which have not yet been approved, adopted, or funded. The planning and due-diligence activities to be carried out as part of the project involve no ground or resource disturbance. The project is Statutorily Exempt under CEQA Guidelines, Section 15262 Feasibility and Planning Studies as the project only involves planning studies for possible future actions, which the Sierra Nevada Conservancy Governing Board has not approved, adopted, or funded; there is no legally binding effect on later activities. The project is also Categorically Exempt under CEQA Guidelines, Section 15306 Information Collection because it consists of basic data collection and resource evaluation activities, which do not result in a disturbance to environmental resources. The proposed activities are for information gathering purposes and are part of a study leading to an action, which a public agency has not yet approved, adopted, or funded.
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
CEQA Guidelines, Section 15306, Information Collection
Reasons for Exemption
The planning activities under this project are resource surveys, data analysis, and coordination and outreach towards the development of a forest-treatment plan and environmental compliance documents considering potential future forest-management projects, which have not yet been approved, adopted, or funded. The planning and due-diligence activities to be carried out as part of the project involve no ground or resource disturbance. The project is Statutorily Exempt under CEQA Guidelines, Section 15262 Feasibility and Planning Studies as the project only involves planning studies for possible future actions, which the Sierra Nevada Conservancy Governing Board has not approved, adopted, or funded; there is no legally binding effect on later activities. The project is also Categorically Exempt under CEQA Guidelines, Section 15306 Information Collection because it consists of basic data collection and resource evaluation activities, which do not result in a disturbance to environmental resources. The proposed activities are for information gathering purposes and are part of a study leading to an action, which a public agency has not yet approved, adopted, or funded.
County Clerks
Nevada, Sierra
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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