Tribal Wildfire Resilience and Land Use Plan (SNC 1682)
Summary
SCH Number
2024030323
Public Agency
Sierra Nevada Conservancy
Document Title
Tribal Wildfire Resilience and Land Use Plan (SNC 1682)
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
3/11/2024
Document Description
The Sierra Nevada Conservancy (SNC) will provide funding to the Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians for project #1682, a planning effort to prepare a comprehensive fuels-reduction/wildfire-reduction plan and joint National Environmental Policy Act/California Environmental Quality Act (NEPA/CEQA) analysis on 2,895 acres of the Tuolumne Rancheria. The Rancheria is located in Tuolumne County, with the primary portion of the Rancheria along the western boundary of Tuolumne City, with an additional parcel about three miles east of Tuolumne City. The Rancheria is within the Tuolumne River watershed, with Turnback, Bear, Preacher’s, Westside, and Duckwall creeks on tribal land. The project would develop two distinct documents: the Wildfire Resilience and Land Use Plan and a joint NEPA/CEQA document. The activities to complete these documents include surveys for cultural resources, biology, wildlife, and botany; data analysis; document development; and partner coordination and stakeholder outreach meetings. There will be no ground or resource disturbance as part of this project.
Contact Information
Name
Mary Akens
Agency Name
Sierra Nevada Conservancy
Job Title
Legal Counsel
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Location
Cities
Tuolumne Rancheria, near Tuolumne City
Counties
Tuolumne
Regions
Northern California
Other Location Info
Approximately 2,900-acre planning project located on the Tuolumne Rancheria in Tuolumne County. One portion of the property is along the western side of Tuolumne City, another portion is about three miles east of Tuolumne City.
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 planning and design towards the development of a forest-management 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 planning and design towards the development of a forest-management 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 Clerk
Tuolumne
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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