FIRE FUEL REDUCTION AND FOREST HEALTH PROJECT
Summary
SCH Number
2024090460
Public Agency
Marin County Open Space District
(MCOSD)
Document Title
FIRE FUEL REDUCTION AND FOREST HEALTH PROJECT
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
9/12/2024
Document Description
The Marin County Open Space District (MCOSD) is proposing to implement a fire fuel reduction and forest health project within the Gary Giacomini Open Space Preserve. The proposed project would be conducted in coordination with Marin County Fire (MCF), the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy (GGNPC), and the One Tam partnership, including adjacent land managing agency Marin Municipal Water District (MMWD), with partial funding provided by a grant from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE). The purpose of the proposed project is to increase forest health and resiliency, enhance biodiversity, improve ecosystem function, and protect residential communities. The proposed project would be accomplished by reducing fuels along Manzanita Fire Road, East Sylvestris Fire Road, White Hill Fire Road, and the western portion of San Geronimo Ridge Fire Road where fuels pose a threat to biodiversity and ecosystem function as well as where they could impact access and firefighter safety during a wildfire response. implementation of the proposed project would remove ladder fuels in areas of forest and woodland which should increase firefighter access and safety, help protect mature trees, and reduce risk within the adjacent residential community during a wildfire. All work would focus on maintaining firefighter access and safety, preserving rare grasslands and shrublands, and managing forested stands for improved health, and would include invasive species management where applicable.
The proposed project includes implementation of BMPs to avoid potential impacts to nesting birds, roosting bats, and active woodrat nests; define protocol when working in sensitive areas; to avoid ground disturbance and prevent an increase in invasive species; to prohibit work during Red Flag Days; and to address refueling and sanitation of tools. Implementation of the proposed project would not affect vegetation rooted below the top of bank of seasonal drainages. Implementation of the BMPs would limit work in these areas to when the seasonal drainages are dry and would avoid potential impact to nesting birds, roosting bats, and active woodrat nests. The proposed project has been designed to not only avoid potential impact to sensitive plant species but to protect them and restore their habitat. For these reasons, no regulatory permit authorizations would be required to implement the proposed project except for compliance with the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) Regulation 5 for open burning and burn day restrictions.
Contact Information
Name
Michelle Julene
Agency Name
Marin County Open Space District
Job Title
Regulatory Open Space Planner
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Location
Cities
Unincorporated
Counties
Marin
Regions
Countywide
Other Location Info
The project is located at various locations throughout Gary Giacomini Open Space Preserve in Unincorporated Marin County at APNs 169-291-01; 169-301-01; 169-331-12 & -17; 170-120-31 & -37, 170-130-32, 197-110-08
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
15301, 15304
Reasons for Exemption
The proposed project consists of the maintenance and minor alteration of an existing public facility involving no expansion of existing or former use. Implementation of the proposed project would improve public safety by implementing fire fuel management activities to reduce the volume of flammable vegetation to improve residential evacuation safety, provide alternate means of ingress for firefighting resources, reduce wildfire potential along fire roads, and the removal of invasive species from within natural habitats in the project area to protect and restore habitat for rare plant species.
The proposed project consists of minor public alterations in the condition of land and vegetation by implementing fire fuel management activities to reduce the volume of flammable vegetation to improve residential evacuation safety, provide alternate means of ingress for firefighting resources, and reduce wildfire potential. No healthy, mature, scenic trees would be removed. This applies to the project area within 100 feet of residences.
Applicable to Both Exemption Classes:
No endangered, rare, or threatened plant or wildlife species would be impacted because BMPs would be implemented to ensure that nesting birds, bats, and woodrats are not impacted and to reduce the spread of sudden oak death consistent with the MCOSD’s Road and Trail Management Plan, Vegetation Biodiversity Management Plan, Bat Roosting Survey Guide, and other BMPs identified for the proposed project. All mechanical work would be conducted outside of nesting season and would avoid any roosting bats and/or active wood rat nests identified in pre-project implementation surveys.
Implementation of the proposed project would not result in significant erosion or sedimentation into surface waters because vegetation rooted below the top of bank of seasonal drainages would not be affected and work would occur when the seasonal drainages are dry.
Implementation of the proposed project would not affect historical buildings or other historical resources. Should any cultural resources be discovered during project implementation, the applicable BMPs included in the MCOSD’s Road and Trail Management Plan would be implemented including work stoppage until the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria (FIGR) have been contacted, the resource evaluated, and appropriate action taken regarding the resource in consultation with FIGR.
The project area is not located on a hazardous waste site pursuant to Government Code Section 65962.5 and there are no designated California State Scenic Highways within the vicinity of the project area.
Similar fire fuel reduction activities have occurred within the project vicinity in the past and are expected to continue to maintain defensible space and safe emergency vehicle access and residential evacuation routes. Areas along White Hill Fire Road and San Geronimo Ridge Fire Road have been pruned annually to maintain vehicle access along critical fire roads. Similar project work and ongoing maintenance activities have been completed and/or are planned along San Geronimo Ridge Fire Road on parcels south of the road within property not owned by MCOSD. Ongoing maintenance of the fuel reduction zones would be limited to the types of activities described in this document, which would be performed periodically to create reduced fuel zones adjacent to fire roads and within defensible space within open space adjacent to structures. When considered together, fire fuel management activities provide a beneficial effect to the project area in terms of public safety, reducing the amount of flammable vegetation in the project area, and protecting healthy native trees by minimizing the fire fuel ladder. For these reasons, implementation of the proposed project would not result in cumulative impacts or a significant effect to the environment due to unusual circumstances.
County Clerk
Marin
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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