Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Prescribed Fire Vegetation Treatment
Summary
SCH Number
2024100847
Public Agency
California State Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo
Document Title
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Prescribed Fire Vegetation Treatment
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
10/18/2024
Document Description
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, in collaboration with The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection’s (CAL FIRE) San Luis Obispo Unit (SLU), proposes to conduct a 26-acre prescribed fire on Cal Poly’s campus. The project would serve to reduce fuels, improve forage for livestock, promote native species, and provide a training opportunity for students the Fire and Fuels program at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. This unit encompasses approximately 26 acres of annual grassland, dominated by nonnative grasses and forbs (e.g. Centaurea calcitrapa, Avena barbata, Bromus hordeaceus, Helminthotheca echioides), and is bordered to the south and west side by well-maintained dirt roads, and to the north and east by grazing pastures. No trees are located within the unit. Consistent with CAL FIRE requirements during Summer Preparedness, containment lines would be used to outline the unit boundary and keep fire from spreading outside of the desired area. By burning right up to containment lines, the project would create “black” (a term that describes burnt land with available fuels), which would add to the holding ability of the containment lines.
Contact Information
Name
Scott Bloom
Agency Name
Cal Poly State University
Job Title
Campus Planner
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Email
Location
Coordinates
Counties
San Luis Obispo
Regions
Countywide
Cross Streets
Watson Drive, Pennington Creek Road, and Gilardi R
Zip
93407
Total Acres
26
Parcel #
073-211-009
State Highways
CA State Hwy 1
Schools
Loma Vista Community School; Cuesta Community College
Waterways
Pennington Creek
Township
31S
Range
12E
Other Location Info
3475 Gilardi Road East, Located 500-ft north of the San Luis Obispo County Office of Education.
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
Class 4 - Minor Alterations to Lands (Section 15304); Common Sense Exemption - Section 15061(b)(3)
Reasons for Exemption
The 14CCR§15304 Class 4 Minor Alterations to Land exemption applies to the proposed project. This project consists of minor public or private alterations in the condition of land, water, and/or vegetation, and will not involve removal of healthy, mature, scenic trees. The project would treat a very small/specific area and is designed to minimize the risks and hazards associated with potential wildfire and threat to natural resources, while providing important training to Cal Poly students and local community members. This treatment would further steward the health and cultural benefits of the land, increasing native species diversity and abundance, and improving forage quality and yield to livestock. No protected status flora or fauna have been observed at the project unit. No sensitive cultural resources have been observed or documented within the project boundaries. Further, no excavation or other ground disturbance associated with typical construction would occur.
County Clerk
San Luis Obispo
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.