Sierra Pines Fuel Reduction
Summary
SCH Number
2025030782
Public Agency
Alpine County
Document Title
Sierra Pines Fuel Reduction
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
3/19/2025
Document Description
The project is located within the community of Woodfords, California. The project area is an 88 acre treatment area encompassed by Upper Manzanita Dr, Zellmer Ln, Hawkins Ranch Rd, and the Sierra Pines Mobile Home Park. The project area is dominated by native sagebrush habitat of California Wildlife Habitat Relationship (CWHR) Shrub Size 3 and Canopy Closure M. The proposed project will reduce the continuity of sagebrush in effort to reduce hazardous fuel loading and arrangement such that the flame length, intensity, rate of spread, and duration of potential wildfire is reduced.
The proposed project will 1) Utilize mechanical mastication to reduce the extent of sagebrush on site, targeting 85-90% of the sage for mastication, 2) leave remaining sagebrush in a discontinuous, mosaic fashion at least 15 feet from the dripline of any conifer such that residual shrubs will not contribute to horizontal or vertical fuels, 3) lop and scatter of nominal dead and dying conifers through hand operations with assistance from machinery, and 4) prune the scattered 6” to 22” DBH Jeffrey Pine present within the project area to a minimum height of 10 feet as measured from the lowest live green limb to the top of the surface fuels.
Live riparian hardwood and other riparian species will be retained and left unaltered. Conifer Snags 16”+ DBH and over 20 feet tall shall be retained at a minimum rate of 2 per acre where they exist in the preharvest stand provided they do not pose a safety risk during and following operations. The desired, post treatment stand conditions will not contribute to initiating or sustaining a crown fire and will have projected flame lengths of less than 2-4 feet in the surface fuels, with increased resilience to wildfire. The resulting stand would appear well thinned with the primary carrier of the fire being leaves and/or grasses. The proposed action will effectively reduce hazardous fuels within the project area.
Contact Information
Name
Sam Booth
Agency Name
Alpine County
Job Title
Community Development Director
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Location
Coordinates
Counties
Alpine
Regions
Countywide
Zip
96120
Total Acres
88
State Highways
State Hwy 89
Schools
Diamond Valley Elementary School
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
Class 4, 15304 Minor Alterations to Land
Reasons for Exemption
This project fits under Categorical Exemption: 15304 Minor Alterations to Land (Class 4) which allows minor alteration of vegetation including fuel management activities to reduce volume of flammable vegetation, provided the activities do not result in the taking of endangered, rare, or threatened plant/animal species or cause significant erosion and sedimentation of waters. The pruning of residual trees will be restricted to those that reduce the vertical and horizontal continuity of fuels, and/or provide for improved ingress/egress in the event of wildfire. The proposed project has been designed to protect hydrology and water and soil resources to prevent significant erosion or sedimentation of waters. The project, as designed, is consistent with the use of a Categorical Exemption.
Field review by County staff confirmed that no exceptions apply that would preclu
County Clerk
Alpine
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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