2024-2029 Northstar Community Evacuation/Forest Fuels Reduction Project
Summary
SCH Number
2024041011
Public Agency
Northstar Community Services District
Document Title
2024-2029 Northstar Community Evacuation/Forest Fuels Reduction Project
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
4/24/2024
Document Description
The multi-year project schedule for this project starts July 2024 and will expire on March 15, 2029. The projects funding mechanism is from a 2021 Measure U voter property tax initiative, hard match costs, and a state awarded grant. The project has a focus on various methods of forest fuels reduction designed to enhance identified evacuation routes, while protecting structures and infrastructure. This is a priority from the updated 2022 Northstar Community Wildfire Protection Plan. Below are key components to the project:
1. To perform forest fuels reduction along major evacuation routes, structure and infrastructure protection to the Community of Northstar. The project areas exist on privately owned, open common space forested lands next to evacuation routes, residential/commercial structures and infrastructure. The project areas are part of Priorities Number One, Three, and Six in the Updated 2022 Northstar Community Wildfire Protection Plan.
2. To remove dead, diseased, dying, and pest infected trees that identify as a fire hazard and or are detrimental to forest health (Priority Three).
3. The funding for forest fuels reduction for evacuation routes and forest fuels buffer work exists exclusively within the Northstar Community Services District Boundary. The project will cover 1,514-acres of land.
4. This project exists within a State Regulatory Area (SRA), CAL FIRE named Very High Fire Severity Zone. The project areas hold over-stocked conifer tree stands, declining conifer trees, vegetation health that is a result of multiple years of drought, and correcting one hundred plus years of historical timber harvesting practices which altered the forests of the Martis Creek Watershed. Currently, forest fuels reduction work within the project areas require a combination of first entry, multiple year work, and periodic maintenance treatment. The goal is to reduce forest fuels within areas that are readily able to burn hot and travel at an accelerated rate across the topography and affect a safe community wide evacuation and supply structure and infrastructure protection. A secondary issue is addressing the removal of dead, diseased, dying, and pest infected trees which will help reduce the acceleration of tree mortality before reaching an epidemic level.
Contact Information
Name
Joe Barron
Agency Name
Northstar Community Services District
Job Title
Forester
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Email
Location
Cities
Truckee
Counties
Placer
Regions
Northern California
Cross Streets
Northstar Drive and Highway 267
Zip
96161
Airports
Tahoe Truckee Airport District
Other Location Info
Project work is located within the boundary of the Community of Northstar, which lies within Sections 29, 31 32, T17N, R17E, MDB&M.
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
14CCR§15304 - Minor Alteration to Land
Reasons for Exemption
The project’s main emphasis is to reduce the abundance of fuels near or next to a major evacuation route and the Community of Northstar’s road system. This project is designed to mitigate the effects of a wildfire occurring within or outside the Northstar Community Services District Boundary which is chosen by CAL FIRE as existing within a Very High Fire Severity Zone.
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
14CCR§15307 - Actions by Regulatory Agencies for Protection of Natural Resources
Reasons for Exemption
This project will help prevent a wildfire from occurring and to protect the cultural resources that exist within and outside the boundaries of the Northstar Community Services District and as a part of the Martis Valley Complex.
Exempt Status
Other
Type, Section or Code
14CCR§ 1038(b))
Reasons for Exemption
This Exemption allows for the removal of dead, diseased, dying and pest infected, green trees and biomass which is identified as a wildfire/forest health issue.
Exempt Status
Other
Type, Section or Code
14CCR§ 1038(d))
Reasons for Exemption
This Exemption allows for the removal of dead, diseased, dying and pest infected, green trees and biomass which is identified as a wildfire/forest health issue.
Exempt Status
Other
Type, Section or Code
14CCR§ 1038(c)(6))
Reasons for Exemption
This Exemption allows for the removal of dead, diseased, dying and pest infected, green trees and biomass within 150-300 feet from infrastructure as fire safe clearance, which is identified as a wildfire/forest health issue.
County Clerk
Placer
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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