American Unit Prescribed Fire
Summary
SCH Number
2024050075
Public Agency
California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Central Region 4
(CDFW)
Document Title
American Unit Prescribed Fire
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
5/2/2024
Document Description
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), with the assistance of Cal Fire, plans to apply prescribed fire on approximately 625 acres of the American Unit of the Carrizo Plain Ecological Reserve to achieve ecological restoration and enhancement goals and to reduce fuel loading to minimize wildfire risk.
The prescribed burn area is the grasslands east of Sprague Hill Road, comprised of two separate burn units, one larger management burn at 507 acres and a smaller experimental burn of 125 acres. Both units will be monitored before and after the burn using high resolution drone imagery. The experimental burn and a control plot are being monitored for changes in plant composition, using a statistically robust baseline survey that will be repeated for several years. Control lines would be created by mowing and using wet lines as well as tying into existing features that function as fuel breaks, such as the existing roads.
Contact Information
Name
Brandon Swanson
Agency Name
CDFW
Job Title
Unit Biologist
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Location
Counties
San Luis Obispo
Regions
Southern California
Township
31S
Range
19E
Section
16 27
Other Location Info
The project is located at the American Unit of the Carrizo Plain Ecological Reserve, Township 31S Range 19E Sections 16 and 27, Mount Diablo Range.
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
Class 7; California Code of Regulations, title 14, section 15307 and 757(7)(D)
Reasons for Exemption
This project is a regulatory agency action for protection of natural resources,
specifically to encourage forb production for elk and pronghorn and to increase relative cover of native plants. Title 14, Section 757(7)(D) specifically includes controlled burning for habitat productivity as an exempt activity for CDFW. None of the exceptions in Section15300.2 apply.
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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