Low Gap Road Forest Resillience Project
3 Documents in Project
Summary
SCH Number
2024110235
Lead Agency
Mendocino County Resource Conservation District
Document Title
Low Gap Road Forest Resillience Project
Document Type
NOD - Notice of Determination
Received
Posted
11/7/2024
Document Description
Low Gap Road, a county-maintained, open-to-the-public roadway west of Ukiah, California, is located on a strategic ridge at the junction of the upper reaches of the Big River, Navarro River, and upper Russian River basins in Mendocino County. Current conditions along this road are conducive to the spread of fire between watersheds, as most of the ridge-top stands are densely stocked with smaller diameter trees and dense underbrush. Invasive and non-native exotic species, as well as Douglas-fir encroachment, threaten true oak woodlands in portions of the ridgeline, which transitions from oak woodland and grassland in the east to mixed conifer forest in the west. This public road is an asset to firefighting as well as a liability, due to ignition risks. The community of Ukiah, and a number of outlying rural communities, including Comptche, benefit from the alternative route and from fire suppression opportunities provided by the ridgeline; however, current fuel loading and degraded road conditions could hamper safe ingress and egress in the event of a fire. Facilities including public schools, parks, and county offices are concentrated at the east end of Low Gap Road. These make Low Gap Road a key resource in defense of these assets. Additionally, the public schools would be a potentially useful staging areas for fire suppression resources, further enhancing the strategic value of this ridge system.
The primary project objective is to create contiguous, fire-resilient forest conditions on a strategic ridge with the goal of protecting thousands of acres of forest land and improving public safety. The treatment will also benefit oak woodlands where it occurs within the project area through removal of encroaching conifers. The overall prescription is thinning from below to reduce fuels density and increase quadratic mean diameter in the treated areas. Conifers and brush will be removed via mechanical harvester, mastication, or hand removal, followed by in-stand pile burning and a 329 acre prescribed burn.
Contact Information
Name
Doug Turk
Agency Name
Mendocino County Resource Conservation District
Job Title
Forestry Program Manager
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Email
Name
Hayley Ross
Agency Name
The Mendocino & Humboldt Redwood Companies
Job Title
Stewardship Project Manager
Contact Types
Project Applicant / Parties Undertaking Project
Phone
Email
Location
Coordinates
Cities
Ukiah
Counties
Mendocino
Regions
Northern California
Cross Streets
Low Gap Road and the Masonite Industrial Road
Zip
95482
Total Acres
1333
Schools
Ukiah High School
Notice of Determination
Approving Agency
Mendocino County Resource Conservation District
Approving Agency Role
Lead Agency
Approved On
County Clerk
Mendocino
Final Environmental Document Available at
Mendocino County RCD, 410 Jones Street, Suite C3, Ukiah, CA 95482
Determinations
(1) The project will have a significant impact on the environment
No
(2a) An Environmental Impact Report was prepared for this project pursuant to the provisions of CEQA
No
(2b) A Mitigated or a Negative Declaration was prepared for this project pursuant to the provisions of CEQA
No
(2c) An other document type was prepared for this project pursuant to the provisions of CEQA
Yes (CalVTP PEIR PSA)
(3) Mitigated measures were made a condition of the approval of the project
No
(4) A mitigation reporting or monitoring plan was adopted for this project
No
(5) A Statement of Overriding Considerations was adopted for this project
No
(6) Findings were made pursuant to the provisions of CEQA
Yes
Attachments
Notice of Determination
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