North Fork Water Treatment Plant
Summary
SCH Number
2024050588
Public Agency
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
(CAL FIRE)
Document Title
North Fork Water Treatment Plant
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
5/14/2024
Document Description
Fuel reduction treatments and a training burn on 32 acres within the North Fork Water Treatment Plant. This project area was heavily impacted by the Fork wildfire incident (2022), the goal is to clean up the remaining burned trees and maintain future wildfire resiliency. Located in Madera County, on the Cascadel Point and North Fork CA USGS 7.5 quadrangle maps. Legal Description is Sec. 19 T08S R23E MDB&M. Approximately 1.5 mile south of North Fork. Project elevation is between 2,511ft - 2,736ft. The current landscape is predominantly burned with oaks, gray pines, shrubs, and understory species habitat. To accomplish this project the treatment activities will involve mechanical and manual equipment to cut, pile, and chip, then use prescribed fire to pile burn and broadcast burn. Firelines will be pre-existing roads in the project area, additional firelines will be created by handlines or wet lines where necessary. Mechanical equipment include masticator, dozer, excavator, skid steer, and chipper to help create or treat piles, targeting the dead standing trees and shrubs that were killed in the Fork fire, woody fuels in the understory such as ladder fuels, low branches, shrubs, and trees smaller than 8-inch DBH. With the exception to retain open tree spacing by leaving some smaller trees and shrubs to promote growth and recruit future tree canopy. Lower branches on trees and shrubs will be pruned, but no more than half their height. Remove hazard trees such as dead, dying, or diseased. Initial treatments will focus on clearing the woody debris via chipping and pile burning, then broadcast burning in the future. Maintenance and burning activities are planned in perpetuity.
Contact Information
Name
Brian Mattos
Agency Name
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE)
Job Title
Forester II
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Email
Location
Counties
Madera
Regions
Southern California
Total Acres
32
Township
8S
Range
23E
Section
19
Base
MDBM
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
Class 4 §15304 Minor Alterations to Land
Reasons for Exemption
The project meets the requirements of Class 4, §15304: Minor Alteration to the Land Categorical Exemption to CEQA. Class 4 includes minor public or private alterations in the conditions of land, water, and/or vegetation which do not involve removal of healthy, mature, and scenic trees except for forestry and agricultural purposes. Minor temporary use of land having negligible or no permanent effects on the environment.
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. Documentation of the environmental review completed by the Department is kept on file at CAL FIRE Mariposa Headquarters at 5366 State Highway 49 North, Mariposa CA 95338.
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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