(RFFCP2022) WIP Capacity Subgrant - Modoc Fire Safe Council (1718-RFFCP)
Summary
SCH Number
2024060945
Public Agency
Sierra Nevada Conservancy
Document Title
(RFFCP2022) WIP Capacity Subgrant - Modoc Fire Safe Council (1718-RFFCP)
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
6/21/2024
Document Description
The Sierra Nevada Conservancy would provide funding to the Modoc Fire Safe Council to collaborate with local communities, local tribes, regional partners, and stakeholders to develop a priority plan to improve forest health and fire resiliency within the Modoc Fire Safe Council area. The proposed activities will increase capacity to identify, prioritize, plan, and develop potential future projects focusing on priority transportation routes and underserved communities in the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) areas within the Modoc County Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP), although not exclusively. Tasks conducted under these activities would include developing Firewise Communities, creation of a Prescribed Burn Association, hiring for new staff positions, participating in training sessions, attending regional conferences, working to develop monitoring and evaluation plans, communicating and engaging with stakeholders, facilitating meetings, and the gathering of pertinent data and information for plan preparation. The Modoc Fire Safe Council would also identify potential site boundaries by undertaking surveying and mapping and conducting site evaluations for future projects which have not yet been identified. The purpose is to engage with their community and stakeholders to generate a priority list for future forest health projects and create a plan for evaluating and monitoring projects as well as completing a Capacity Building Sustainability Report. These activities could potentially lead to improved forest health and fire resiliency, facilitate greenhouse gas emissions reductions, and increase carbon sequestration.
Contact Information
Name
Mary Akens
Agency Name
Sierra Nevada Conservancy
Job Title
General Counsel
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Location
Cities
None – feasibility planning project
Counties
Modoc
Regions
Northern California
Other Location Info
General communication, outreach, and planning activities across parts of Modoc County.
Other Information
The community of Alturas is within the project area.
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Statutory Exemption
Type, Section or Code
Common Sense Exemption – CEQA Guidelines, Section 15061, subd. (b)(3) and Feasibility and Planning Studies
Reasons for Exemption
These activities are exempt under the commonsense exemption under Section 15061, subd. (b)(3) of the CEQA Guidelines which states that CEQA applies only to projects which have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA. This grant funding will support capacity building activities and project pipeline development tasks such as hiring of staff, developing Firewise Communities, training, surveying and mapping, coordination of meetings, and community engagement as well as the gathering and sharing of data for early-stage planning and prioritization of currently unidentified, potential future projects related to forest health and fire resiliency. They are early-stage planning activities; no specific projects have yet been identified, nor have they been approved, adopted, or funded. There will be no ground or resource disturbance. Therefore, it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment. Additionally, the project would be statutorily exempt under CEQA Guidelines, section 15262 exempting feasibility and planning studies as the activity involves planning studies for possible future actions which the Sierra Nevada Conservancy Board has not approved, adopted, or funded. Further, there is no legally binding effect on later activities. (Common Sense Exemption – CEQA Guidelines, Section 15061, subd. (b)(3) and Feasibility and Planning Studies under Pub. Resources Code, Section 21102 and CEQA Guidelines, Section 15262.)
County Clerk
Modoc
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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