Cottonwood Excess Land Transfer
Summary
SCH Number
2024050375
Public Agency
California Department of Transportation, District 2
(DOT)
Document Title
Cottonwood Excess Land Transfer
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
5/9/2024
Document Description
The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), using state funding only, is proposing to transfer the Cottonwood Creek Mitigation Site (Tehama County Assessor’s Parcel Number 004-130-005) to a qualified third-party. The Cottonwood Creek Mitigation Site is located in Tehama County along Interstate 5 at post mile 42.0 and is approximately 8.5 acres. The site was established as a mitigation site for the valley elderberry longhorn beetle, a federally listed species. The purpose of the project is to relieve Caltrans of responsibilities for this property and its maintenance by transferring the property to a third-party entity with fee title, conservation easement, endowment account, exhausting account, and long-term management plan. The project is needed because Caltrans has met the 10-year short-term environmental commitments for the valley elderberry longhorn beetle mitigation site. Caltrans prefers to identify a third-party organization to be responsible for the long-term annual maintenance and monitoring activities moving forward, which will be held in perpetuity. The third-party entity will hold the fee title, conservation easement, and endowment account and an exhausting account. The third-party must be accredited through the United States Fish and Wildlife Service’s Land Accreditation Program and would likely be solicited through the request for proposals process. The project would be limited to the transfer of fee title of the site and associated long-term maintenance and monitoring requirements to a qualified third-party (no construction would occur).
Staging/Stockpiling
No staging or stockpiling areas are needed.
Disposal/Borrow Sites
No borrow or disposal sites are needed.
Utilities
No utilities work is proposed.
Right-of-Way
The mitigation site to be relinquished is owned by Caltrans. No federal land is present within the project limits.
Permits
Based on the current scope of work, no regulatory agency permits are required.
Coordination/Consultation
Caltrans performed a review of resource records and databases and consulted with applicable agencies, tribes, and individuals.
Contact Information
Name
Darrin Doyle
Agency Name
Caltrans District 2
Job Title
Associate Environmental Planner
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Email
Location
Counties
Tehama
Regions
Northern California
Other Location Info
The project is located in Tehama County along Interstate 5 at post mile 42.0.
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
Transfers of Ownership of Interest in Land, Section 15325
Reasons for Exemption
Caltrans determined that the project is categorically exempt in accordance with Section 15325 (Transfers of Ownership of Interest in Land to Preserve Existing Natural Conditions and Historical Resources) Class 25. Class 25 consists of the transfers of ownership of interests in land in order to preserve open space, habitat, or historical resources. Examples include but are not limited to: (a) Acquisition, sale, or other transfer of areas to preserve the existing natural conditions, including plant or animal habitats; (b) Acquisition, sale, or other transfer of areas to allow continued agricultural use of the areas; (c) Acquisition, sale, or other transfer to allow restoration of natural conditions, including plant or animal habitats; (d) Acquisition, sale, or other transfer to prevent encroachment of development into flood plains; (e) Acquisition, sale, or other transfer to preserve historical resources; (f) Acquisition, sale, or other transfer to preserve open space or lands for park purposes. The project would not have a significant effect on the environment.
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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