Low Intensity Broadcast Burn on Vigil Farm Property
Summary
SCH Number
2024090998
Public Agency
Yolo County Resource Conservation District
Document Title
Low Intensity Broadcast Burn on Vigil Farm Property
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
9/25/2024
Document Description
This prescribed fire project is in collaboration between Yolo Prescribed Burn Association (coordinated by Yolo County Resource Conservation District) and a private landowner located outside of Esparto, CA. The project has been designed with insight from CAL FIRE LNU and local fire protection districts. The purpose of the 4.5-acre prescribed burn is to manage vegetation in an open, unmanaged grassland area on the property (which also has a small farm) and to restore native vegetation to the grassland. The project site is an open field that is impacted by invasive species including medusahead (Elymus caput-medusae), Bromus spp., goatgrass (Aegilops cylindrica), wild oat (Avena fatua), among other invasive/non-native vegetation. The site is currently an open grassland that has been previously grazed and may be used for agriculture or grazing in the future, to be determined by the landowner. The purpose of the burn is wild land vegetation management to reduce the continuity of fuels, control invasive species, and improve grassland habitat for greater resiliency to wildfire and ecosystem health. A secondary objective is prescribed fire training and capacity building for landowners and community members to safely use fire as a landscape stewardship tool under the supervision and guidance of trained fire professionals.
The prescribed fire, which is expected to occur initially in Fall 2024, but may also be conducted again in spring or subsequent years, will be planned in accordance with permitting and compliance required by CAL FIRE LNU and the Yolo Solano Air Quality Management District. The 4.5-acre burn will have containment lines installed by the landowner which include box scrape/dozer lines. The prescribed burn will occur only when conditions meet what is outlined in a burn plan and with approval from the landowner.
A biological assessment conducted by the Yolo County RCD concluded that there are no sensitive flora or fauna species within the project site. There are a number of sensitive animal species, including threatened bird and insect populations, which could occur within a one-to five-mile radius outside of the project site. Yolo County RCD staff will perform wildlife surveys in the weeks leading up to the burn to ensure species are not found within the project site.
Low to moderate intensity fire results in levels of disturbance that are beneficial to California native ecosystems and the species that comprise them. Any trees within the project boundary are not expected to be impacted by low-intensity broadcast burning.
Contact Information
Name
Heather Nichols
Agency Name
Yolo County Resource Conservation District
Job Title
Executive Director
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Email
Location
Counties
Yolo
Regions
Unincorporated
Cross Streets
County Rd 22 and County Road 85B
Parcel #
049180051000
Other Information
25065 County Road 22, Esparto CA 95627
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
Class 4, Section 15304- Minor Alterations to Land
Reasons for Exemption
The proposed project is a low-intensity prescribed burn to improve grassland by removing invasive weeds, with a broader goal of improving community wildfire r.esiliency through raised awareness and training about prescribed burning as a land management tool. The proposed unit is located in rural agricultural land in Yolo County and is historically categorized as oak savannah and grassland. The burn plan will identify hazard mitigation tactics and ensure the conservation of ecological and cultural resources. To define the perimeter of the burn, site preparation for the project may include mowing or box scraping with a tractor which will be performed by the private landowner. Under the specified prescription, the burn will have low intensity and minimal heat resulting in the combustion of fine fuels only. Project implementation will not result in significant adverse impact on endangered, rare or threatened species. The project will principally be carried out with hand tools and not mechanized equipment and will result in revegetation that will improve habitat for native
wildlife and pollinators. It has been concluded that no significant adverse environmental impacts would occur to aesthetics, agriculture and forest resources, air quality, biological resources, cultural resources, energy, geology and soils, greenhouse gas emissions, hazards and hazardous materials, hydrology and water quality, land use and planning, mineral resources, noise, populations and housing, public services, recreation, transportation and traffic, utilities and service systems, or wildfire. Given the size and nature of the project, it is consistent with the Class 4 Minor Alterations to Land Exemption under CEQA.
County Clerk
Yolo
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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