Bumguardner Ridge Fuelbreak: Agreement #5GG22142, funded by the California Wildfire Prevention Grant Program
Summary
SCH Number
2024090893
Public Agency
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
(CAL FIRE)
Document Title
Bumguardner Ridge Fuelbreak: Agreement #5GG22142, funded by the California Wildfire Prevention Grant Program
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
9/23/2024
Document Description
The Bumguardner Fuelbreak Project (“Project”) varies from 0.5 to 1 mile south and west of the town of Mariposa. This project will treat approximately 130 acres of privately-owned land on the prevailing Bumguardner ridge south and west of Mariposa, CA. The unaltered project area understory is choked with brush and dense ladder fuels that extend into Gray pine, Black oak and Live oak. Scattered Ponderosa pines exist in and nearby the project area. The purpose of the project is to modify the structure and continuity of hazard fuels to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire, while protecting local structures and the communities of Mariposa, Mt. Bullion, Catheys Valley, Agua Fria, and Bear Valley. Both mechanical and manual mastication may be used to treat the vegetation in the project area. The Bumguardner Ridge Fuelbreak project contains no classified watercourses, only swales that originate on Bumguardner Ridge. The project area vegetation is mixed Sierra montane conifer with a hardwood component of Black oak and Live oak. In the understory are shrubs/brush heavy to toyon and ceanothus species with grasses in openings. Due to past droughts and beetle activity, mortality has decimated the scattered Ponderosa pines. Management goals include restoring forest species composition and structure following large scale, stand-replacing disturbance events such as quick-moving fires or slow-moving insect outbreaks and prevention of wildfire. Once implementation work on the project is completed, the goal is to maintain the treated area into perpetuity under the current CEQA document.
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
Cities
Mariposa
Counties
Mariposa
Regions
Southern California
Total Acres
130
Other Location Info
Portions of Sections 15, 16, 22, 23 and 26, T5S R18E, MDBM
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
Class 4 §15304 Minor Alterations to Land
Reasons for Exemption
This project fits under the description for a Class 4 Categorical Exemption to CEQA. An environmental review was conducted to confirm that no exceptions apply which would preclude the use of a Notice of Exemption for this project. This review included an on-the-ground field inspection by a Registered Professional Forester during May and June, 2024. A full Archeological Survey Report was prepared and approved by Travis Armstrong, CAL FIRE Archeologist on July 25, 2024. In addition, consultation/correspondence was sent via email to representatives of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and Regional Water Quality Control Board. No concerns were raised by the RWQCB Agency Representative, and the concerns raised by CDFW Representative were addressed and included in the Environmental Review Report. The Department has concluded that no significant environmental impact would occur to aesthetics, agriculture and forestland/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/traffic, utilities and service systems, or to wildfire. Documentation of the environmental review completed by the Department is kept on file at MMU Unit Headquarters in Mariposa.
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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