Hawkside Fuel Reduction
Summary
SCH Number
2024040322
Public Agency
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
(CAL FIRE)
Document Title
Hawkside Fuel Reduction
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
4/8/2024
Document Description
37.1-acre project is located within the community of Woodfords, California, and is bound by State Route 89, Barber Road, Diamond Valley Road, and an unnamed private, seasonal dirt road. The project area is dominated by native sagebrush habitat of California Wildlife Habitat Relationship (CWHR) Shrub Size 3 and Canopy Closure M, meaning mature shrubs of moderate canopy closure ranging between 40 to 59%. The proposed project will reduce the continuity of sagebrush in effort to reduce hazardous fuel loading and arrangement such that the flame length, intensity, rate of spread, and duration of potential wildfire is reduced. The proposed project will 1) Utilize mechanical mastication to reduce the extent of sagebrush on site, targeting 85-90% of the sage for mastication, 2) leave remaining sagebrush in a discontinuous, mosaic fashion at least 15 feet from the dripline of any conifer such that residual shrubs will not contribute to horizontal or vertical fuels, 3) lop and scatter of nominal dead and dying conifers through hand operations with assistance from machinery, and 4) prune the scattered Jeffrey Pine present within the project area to a to a minimum height of 10 feet as measured from the lowest live green limb to the top of the surface fuels. Live riparian hardwood and other riparian species will be retained and left unaltered.
Contact Information
Name
Erin Duprey
Agency Name
CAL FIRE - AMADOR-EL DORADO UNIT (AEU)
Job Title
Environmental Scientist
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Email
Location
Cities
Woodfords
Counties
Alpine
Regions
Northern California
Total Acres
37.1
State Highways
State Route 89
Township
11N
Range
19 E
Section
35
Base
MDBM
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
Class 4 15304 Minor Alteration To Land
Reasons for Exemption
This project fits under Categorical Exemption: 15304 Minor Alterations to Land (Class 4) which allows minor alteration of vegetation including fuel management activities to reduce volume of flammable vegetation, provided the activities do not result in the taking of endangered, rare, or threatened plant/animal species or cause significant erosion and sedimentation of waters. The pruning of residual trees will be restricted to those that reduce the vertical and horizontal continuity of fuels, and/or provide for improved ingress/egress in the event of wildfire. The proposed project has been designed to protect hydrology and water and soil resources to prevent significant erosion or sedimentation of waters. The project, as designed, is consistent with the use of a Categorical Exemption.
Field review by CAL FIRE staff confirmed that no exceptions apply that would preclude the use of a notice of exemption for this project. The Department has concluded that no significant environmental impact would occur to aesthetics, agriculture and forestland or timberland, air quality, biological resources, cultural resources, energy, geology and soils, greenhouse gas emissions, hazards and hazardous materials, hydrology and water quality, land use planning, mineral resources, noise, population and housing, public services, recreation, transportation or traffic, utilities and service systems or to wildfire
County Clerk
Alpine
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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