Sierra Meadows Community Fuel Reduction Project

Summary

SCH Number
2024080114
Public Agency
Truckee Fire Protection District
Document Title
Sierra Meadows Community Fuel Reduction Project
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
8/5/2024
Document Description
The project includes implementation of fuels reduction activities in the form of manual and mechanical thinning, mastication, and tracked chipping on an approximately 83-acre footprint. The project area is located on developed and undeveloped larger lots within and adjacent to the Sierra Meadows subdivision that interface directly with smaller developed lots with homes. The project aims to improve defensible space for over 100 small private parcels that interface with the project area and low-income/disadvantaged residents who live in multifamily complexes. The project is an integral part of the TFPD’s landscape fuel reduction strategy aimed at protecting the Truckee community and Wildland Urban Interface from future catastrophic wildfire events. This fuel reduction treatment is strategically located in order to moderate the movement of wildfire, provide safer egress for evacuating citizens, provide safer ingress for resources related to suppression activities, and ultimately facilitate in the protection of life and property for surrounding communities.

Contact Information

Name
Dillon Sheedy
Agency Name
Truckee Fire Protection District
Job Title
Forester #3175
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency / Parties Undertaking Project

Location

Cities
Truckee, Unincorporated Area
Counties
Nevada, Placer
Regions
Northern California
Cross Streets
Old Brockway Road
Zip
96161
Total Acres
83
State Highways
HWY 267
Railways
Union Pacific Railroad
Airports
Truckee Tahoe Airport District
Schools
Alder Creek Middle School
Waterways
Truckee River
Township
17N
Range
16E
Section
14, 15
Base
MDM
Other Information
Additional Sections; 22, 23

Notice of Exemption

Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
Class 4: CCR, title 14, section 15304 / Class 7: CCR, Title 14, section 15307
Reasons for Exemption
The proposed project qualifies for a Categorical Exemption under CEQA Guidelines Section 15304 and Section 15307. Pursuant to Section 15304, Class 4 consists of minor private alterations of vegetation which do not involve removal of healthy, mature, scenic trees. Section 15307, Class 7 consists of actions by regulatory agencies as authorized by state law or local ordinance to assure the maintenance, restoration, or enhancement of natural resources. The project involves removal of an abundance of small diameter understory trees and brush species adjacent to habitable structures to reduce the vertical and horizontal continuity of forest fuels, to reduce wildfire intensity and severity, and comply with PRC 4291 and local ordinances. Field review by Truckee Fire Protection District Forester confirmed that fuel clearance in the project area is required to reduce hazardous fuel conditions adjacent to habitable structures for the safety of the public and emergency responders, and no exceptions apply which would preclude the use of a Notice of Exemption for this project. The project consists of minor treatments to vegetation in the form of hand thinning, mastication, mechanical tree removal, and chipping. The trees being removed are in a suppressed state and are not considered healthy. The activities do not result in the taking of endangered, rare, or threatened plant or animal species, or sedimentation to surface waters. This project will not convert forestland to non-forest uses, and all treated vegetation will have the ability to grow back. The Truckee Fire Protection District has concluded that no significant environmental impact would occur to aesthetics, agriculture and forestland/timberland, air quality, biological resources, cultural resources, 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/traffic, utilities and service systems, or to wildfire. Documentation of the environmental review completed by the department is kept on file at Truckee Fire Protection District Station 91, located at 10049 Donner Pass Road in Truckee CA. Truckee Fire Board of Directors has authorized staff to file appropriate documentation, and furthermore has made a determination on 7/16/2024 that the current fuel overgrowth poses a significant threat to Truckee Communities and that it is an urgent priority to implement wildfire mitigation projects to protect life, property, and environment from wildfire.
County Clerks
Nevada, Placer

Attachments

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