CDFW Pilot Studies to Inform the North Yuba River Spring-run Chinook Salmon Reintroduction Program

2024090960

California Department of Fish and Wildlife, North Central Region 2 (CDFW)

NOE - Notice of Exemption

9/25/2024

9/25/2024

Michelle Forsha

California Department of Fish and Wildlife

Senior Environmental Scientist Supervisor

Lead/Public Agency

1701 Nimbus Road
Rancho Cordova, CA 95670

(916) 618-3376

michelle.forsha@wildlife.ca.gov

North Yuba River

North Yuba River watershed, upstream of New Bullards Bar Dam and Reservoir, and downstream of Loves Falls

Categorical Exemption

14 CCR §15306 Information Collection

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), by and through its North Central Region Manager, has taken final action to approve implementation of Pilot Studies (Project) to Inform the North Yuba River Spring-run Chinook Salmon Reintroduction Program. In taking its final agency action for purposes of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), CDFW approved the Project relying on Categorical Exemption Class 6 Information Collection (14 CCR § 15306). Central Valley Spring-run Chinook Salmon, a species listed as Threatened under the federal and State Endangered Species Act, have been extirpated from the North Yuba River due to impassable rim dams. The Project consists of studies to evaluate the feasibility of reintroducing Spring-run Chinook salmon to the North Yuba River to expand their range to include historic habitat suitable to increase its resiliency. The Project includes conducting Pilot Studies focused on evaluating and refining methods for Spring-run Chinook Salmon egg incubation; juvenile collection, monitoring, and transport; habitat utilization; and parentage-based tagging. The Class 6 Categorical Exemption applies to information collection. Specifically, a project is exempt from further review under CEQA if the project consists of basic data collection, research, experimental management, and resource evaluation activities which do not result in a serious or major disturbance to an environmental resource. This exemption is applicable because the Project only includes data collection, research, experimental management, and resource evaluation activities, collectively referred to as Pilot Studies to inform the North Yuba River Spring-run Chinook Salmon Reintroduction Program (Program). The Pilot Studies will inform further CDFW actions for the Program which have not yet been approved, adopted, or funded. Further, this exemption is applicable because exceptions to the Categorical Exemptions (14 CCR § 15300.2) have been reviewed and found not applicable to the Project.