North Vegetation Assessment, Data Development and Project NEPA (SNC 1645)
Summary
SCH Number
2024030332
Public Agency
Sierra Nevada Conservancy
Document Title
North Vegetation Assessment, Data Development and Project NEPA (SNC 1645)
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
3/11/2024
Document Description
The Sierra Nevada Conservancy (SNC) is funding project #1645 North Vegetation Assessment, Data Development and Project NEPA, led by Fall River Resource Conservation District. The project is a large-scale, cross-jurisdictional data collection, assessment, and planning project to enhance existing forest and watershed conditions and reduce wildfire risk across 6.4 million acres. The project includes environmental assessments in portions of Modoc, Lassen, and Shasta National forests in the McCloud, Upper Sacramento, Battle Creek, Klamath, and Pit River watersheds, in portions of Siskiyou, Shasta, Modoc, Lassen, and Tehama counties. The project will produce (1) consistent and high-resolution, lidar-based vegetation structure analysis and biomass estimates; (2) lidar and imagery-based resilient forest assessment (including assessment of departure of existing conditions from desired conditions) to inform design and planning of forest health and fuels-management projects; (3) surface fuels classifications; (4) 3D-National Hydrograph Dataset (NHD) watershed dataset update to inform project planning, provide comprehensive waterbody inventory and post-fire recovery tools; (5) site surveys, reports, and support for National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analysis for approximately 314,000 acres of federal lands on the Lassen and Modoc National forests; and (6) establish and facilitate a new collaborative in the Upper Sacramento River watershed. These tools will be leveraged with other relevant data including the Sierra Nevada Regional Resource Kit information to help all Regional stakeholders and tribes plan and prioritize projects. The activities to reach these deliverables involve remote sensing and remote data analysis, NEPA-related surveys and reports, database creation, and collaborative meetings and workshops. 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
Mount Shasta, Alturas, Susanville, and Burney
Counties
Lassen, Modoc, Shasta, Siskiyou, Tehama
Regions
Northern California
Other Location Info
Cities within the assessment area include Mount Shasta, Alturas, Susanville, and Burney.
Other Information
The project is a large-landscape assessment across 6.4 million acres including Modoc, Lassen, and Shasta National forests in the McCloud, Upper Sacramento, Battle Creek, Klamath, and Pit River watersheds, located within Siskiyou, Shasta, Modoc, Lassen, and Tehama counties.
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
Section 15306, Information Collection
Reasons for Exemption
The activities under this project involve remote sensing and remote data analysis, NEPA-related surveys and reports, database creation, and collaborative meetings and workshops. There will be no resource or ground disturbance as part of this project. The project is Statutorily Exempt under Section 15262 Feasibility and Planning Studies as the project only involves assessment and planning studies for possible future actions that 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 Section 15306 Information Collection because it consists of basic data collection and resource evaluation activities that 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 that a public agency has not yet approved, adopted, or funded.
Exempt Status
Statutory Exemption
Type, Section or Code
Section 15262, Feasibility and Planning Studies
Reasons for Exemption
The activities under this project involve remote sensing and remote data analysis, NEPA-related surveys and reports, database creation, and collaborative meetings and workshops. There will be no resource or ground disturbance as part of this project. The project is Statutorily Exempt under Section 15262 Feasibility and Planning Studies as the project only involves assessment and planning studies for possible future actions that 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 Section 15306 Information Collection because it consists of basic data collection and resource evaluation activities that 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 that a public agency has not yet approved, adopted, or funded.
County Clerks
Lassen, Modoc, Shasta, Siskiyou, Tehama
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
Disclaimer: The Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR) accepts no responsibility for the content or accessibility of these documents. To obtain an attachment in a different format, please contact the lead agency at the contact information listed above. You may also contact the OPR via email at state.clearinghouse@opr.ca.gov or via phone at (916) 445-0613. For more information, please visit OPR’s Accessibility Site.