Legget Valley Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project
Summary
SCH Number
2025050031
Public Agency
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
(CAL FIRE)
Document Title
Legget Valley Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
5/1/2025
Document Description
The Legget Valley Fire Department, in collaboration with CAL FIRE, will implement a shaded fuel break along 30 miles of private access roads in the Leggett community. Road conditions vary from single-lane dirt roads with no turnouts to paved double-lane roads with shoulders, traversing 10%–90% slopes across diverse soils. The vegetation consists of a forest structure mixed with a brush and grassland component, including uneven aged stands of 70–300-year-old Douglas fir, redwood, and white fir intermixed with similar age live oak, black oak, white oak and tanoak. Brush species include ceanothus, poison oak, and pampas grass. Fuel reduction activities will consist of thinning the understory (i.e., dead ground fuels and brush) and removing dead and hazard tree material within 50’ of road edges using manual, and mechanical (masticators limited to slopes <50%), treatment methods and pile burning. Hand crews will employ chainsaws (tree falling, bucking, brushing), pole saws, string trimmers, and hand tools. Live trees (=10” DBH) will be thinned maintaining a 12’x12’ spacing and 30% crown cover, and larger trees will be pruned to provide for a vertical clearance of 14 feet. Approximately 70% of vegetation will be retained on slopes >65% for stability. Dead and dying trees greater than 10” DBH within 50’ of roads may be removed if they pose a risk to public safety. Biomass will be chipped, lopped and scattered, or pile burned. Vehicles and equipment will access the treatment areas using existing permanent and seasonal roads. This project includes long-term maintenance of the shaded fuel break and hazard tree removal as needed.
Contact Information
Name
Monica Morris
Agency Name
CAL FIRE
Job Title
Environmental Scientist
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Location
Counties
Mendocino
Regions
Northern California
Total Acres
200
Township
23,24N
Range
16/17w
Section
2-27
Base
MDBM
Other Location Info
roads around Leggett community
Other Information
shaded fuel break along 30 miles of private roads in the Legget Community
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
Class 4/15304 Minor Alterations to Land
Reasons for Exemption
The project meets the requirements of a CEQA Article 19 Class 4 Categorical exemption “Minor Alterations to Land” (Section 15304, Public Resources Code) as the proposed fuel management activities entail understory brush removal, 12-inches DBH or less tree removal, thinning, pruning, chipping, mastication, pile burning, and dead/tree removal to improve access and reduce volume of flammable vegetation. As such, CAL FIRE has concluded that no significant environmental impact would occur to aesthetics, agriculture and forestland/timberland, air quality, biological resources, cultural resources, energy, geology and soils, greenhouse gas emissions, hazards and hazardous materials, hydrology and water quality, land use planning, mineral resources, noise, population and housing, public services, recreation, transportation/traffic, utilities, and service systems, or to wildfire. No exceptions apply (Section 15300.2) which would preclude the use of a Notice of Exemption for this project. Documentation of the environmental review completed by the Department is kept on file at CAL FIRE Mendocino Unit, 802 N. Main Street. Attn. VMP Coordinator.
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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