Galbreath Wildlands Preserve Forest Health and Resilience
Summary
SCH Number
2024100373
Public Agency
Mendocino County Resource Conservation District
Document Title
Galbreath Wildlands Preserve Forest Health and Resilience
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
10/9/2024
Document Description
The Galbreath Wildlands Preserve (3,670 acres, 900-2,200 feet elevation) lies west of the town of Yorkville in the Outer Coast Range of Mendocino County (Figure 1) in a very high fire hazard zone. The goals of the Galbreath Wildlands Preserve Forest Health and Resilience Project are to establish emergency ingress and egress routes by removing roadside brush and ladder fuels, preserving biodiversity, improve forest health, and increase forest resilience to future disturbance by removing excess fuel loads and preventing Douglas-fir (DF) encroachment into oak woodlands. Dense stands of DF are contributing to unhealthy forest conditions, contributing to ladder fuels, and in many areas DF trees are over-topping and shading out native oaks, which are keystone species for biodiversity in California landscapes. All work will be completed using manual treatment methods (no off-road heavy equipment or ground disturbing activities are proposed). Cut material will be lopped and scattered, with the potential to chip material in select areas. Hand crews will utilize chainsaws, pole-saws, and hand tools, and all broadcast chipping will be done from established roads.
Contact Information
Name
Doug Turk
Agency Name
Mendocino County Resource Conservation District
Job Title
Forestry Program Manager
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Email
Location
Coordinates
Cities
Booneville
Counties
Mendocino
Regions
Northern California
Zip
95494
Total Acres
3670
Parcel #
04916047, 04916048, 04919025, 04925009, 04925010, 04919030, 04932001, 04922013, 04934041
State Highways
128
Railways
None
Airports
None
Schools
None
Waterways
Rancheria Creek
Township
12N
Range
12W
Section
18
Base
MDM
Other Location Info
Near Yorkville, CA
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
15304: Minor Alterations to Land
Reasons for Exemption
The project is exempt because the planned activities meet the definition of "forestry" in PRC§753, and have been reviewed and approved by a Registered Professional Forester in consultation with experts from other pertinent fields who have attested that the activities proposed in this project will only have the potential for impacts that are, at most, less than significant to the environment, having provided adequate measures for avoidance of sensitive environmental resources. Project activities will not involve the removal of healthy, mature, or scenic trees, and will not result in a substantial alteration of the current function of the land. A more detailed project analysis is on file at the Mendocino County RCD.
County Clerk
Mendocino
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
Disclaimer: The Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR) accepts no responsibility for the content or accessibility of these documents. To obtain an attachment in a different format, please contact the lead agency at the contact information listed above. For more information, please visit OPR’s Accessibility Site.