The Post-Caldor Fire Watershed Restoration for Securing Water Supply for the Grizzly Flats Community Project
Summary
SCH Number
2025041335
Public Agency
El Dorado County Resource Conservation District
Document Title
The Post-Caldor Fire Watershed Restoration for Securing Water Supply for the Grizzly Flats Community Project
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
4/28/2025
Document Description
The project consists of conducting post-fire hazardous fuels reduction, site preparation and reforestation of affected land within the critical watersheds. The project falls within the footprint of the ENF Caldor Fire Restoration Project in which hazardous fuels reduction, watershed restoration and reforestation treatments have been identified (see overview map in Attachment A). The ENF has identified Unit 224 from the Caldor Fire Restoration Project Phase 1 for implementation under the project, which consists of approximately 227 acres of USFS System lands approximately 1.5 mile northeast of the community of Grizzly Flats, primarily within the Big Canyon Creek watershed. Unit 224 falls within Section 1 of Township 09N, Range 13E on the Iron Mountain U.S. Geological Survey 7.5 minute quadrangle map, MDM (refer to the project area map in Attachment A). Additional areas within the project site may be treated under the proposed project up to 280 acres total. Additional Caldor Fire Restoration Project Phase 1 treatments in the watershed are being undertaken by others and/or will be handled under separate authorization by the ENF.
Contact Information
Name
Mark Egbert
Agency Name
El Dorado Resource Conservation District
Job Title
District Manager
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Email
Location
Coordinates
Cities
Grizzly Flats
Counties
El Dorado
Regions
Countywide
Zip
95636
Total Acres
227
Township
9N
Range
13E
Section
11,12
Base
MDM
Other Location Info
The Post-Caldor Fire Watershed Restoration for Securing Water Supply for the Grizzly Flats Community Project (project) is in western El Dorado County, California within the Caldor Fire footprint. The project area comprises the Big Canyon Creek watershed (1,700 acres) and North Canyon Creek watershed (1,300 acres), which total 3,000 acres located entirely in the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service (USFS) Eldorado National Forest (ENF). The project watersheds fall within Sections 1, 2, 11, 12 and 13 of Township (T) 09N, Range (R) 13E; Section 36 of T10N, R13E; and Sections 5, 6, 7, 8, and 18 of T10N, R14E on the Iron Mountain U.S. Geological Survey 7.5 minute quadrangle map, MDM. Refer to the overview map in Attachment A for the project’s location in the region.
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Statutory Exemption
Type, Section or Code
PRC Sec 4799.05(d)(1)
Reasons for Exemption
Public Resources Code Section 4799.05(d)(1), as amended by Assembly Bill 211 (effective September 27, 2022) exempts from the requirements of CEQA prescribed fire, reforestation, habitat restoration, thinning, and fuel reduction projects, and other related activities included in the project description, including the issuance of permits or other approvals for those projects, undertaken in whole or in part, on federal lands to reduce the risk of high-severity wildfire that have been reviewed under the federal National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) if the role of the state or local agency is to provide funding or staffing for those projects, or if the state or local agency is undertaking the projects pursuant to the federal Good Neighbor Authority (Public Law 113-79) or a stewardship agreement with the federal government entered into pursuant to Public Law 113-79.
The USFS has completed the NEPA process for the proposed project activities with approval of the EA/FONSI and Decision Notice on March 25, 2025 for the ENF Caldor Fire Restoration Project Phase 1 (USDA Forest Service 2025a, b). RCD is a special district of the State and is responsible for providing funding and/or staffing to implement various elements of the Caldor Fire Restoration Project
Phase 1, which is being undertaken pursuant to a stewardship agreement with the USFS. RCD filed a CEQA Notice of Exemption (NOE) for these activities on April 22, 2025. The current proposed project is a subproject to the Caldor Fire Restoration Project, and for which RCD is responsible for providing funding and staffing to implement the proposed project. Therefore, the proposed project is authorized under the existing CEQA NOE and no further noticing or filing pursuant to CEQA is required.
County Clerk
El Dorado
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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