UC Santa Cruz Wildfire Vegetation Management Project
163 Documents in Project
Summary
SCH Number
2019012052
Lead Agency
University of California Santa Cruz
Document Title
UC Santa Cruz Wildfire Vegetation Management Project
Document Type
NOD - Notice of Determination
Received
Posted
2/25/2026
Document Description
UC Santa Cruz proposes to implement vegetation treatments on up to 2,017 acres, of which 274 acres are in the California Coastal Zone, on the Main Residential Campus in Santa Cruz County. UC Santa Cruz has prepared a Project-Specific Analysis and Addendum (PSA/Addendum) for the project as a later activity covered by the California Vegetation Treatment Project (CalVTP) Program Environmental Impact Report (EIR). UC Santa Cruz Main Residential Campus and the surrounding area have experienced a legacy of intensive land uses paired with a subsequent period of lack of disturbance. This has resulted in very high forest densities, significant accumulations of live and dead fuels, significant changes to wildlife habitats, shifts in historic pathways of ecological succession, lowered biodiversity, and heightened fire risk to developed communities. The proposed treatment types are ecological restoration, wildland-urban interface (WUI) fuel reduction, and maintenance of existing fuel breaks (shaded and non-shaded). The proposed treatment activities consist of manual vegetation treatments, mechanical vegetation treatments, prescribed burning (broadcast burning, pile burning, and cultural burning), targeted herbicide application, and prescribed herbivory (predominantly with goats or sheep). The objectives of the proposed project broadly are to steward natural resources in a manner that aligns with campus values of biodiversity, resiliency, sustainability, traditional ecological knowledge, unique campus integrity, and the overall academic mission. The specific goals of the proposed project are to establish ecosystem and campus community resilience while promoting biodiversity as well as restore degraded habitats and protect sensitive resources including valuable coastal ecosystems.
Contact Information
Name
Erika Carpenter
Agency Name
University of California, Santa Cruz
Job Title
Principal Environmental Planner
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency / Parties Undertaking Project
Phone
Email
Location
Cities
Santa Cruz
Counties
Santa Cruz
Regions
Northern California
Cross Streets
Empire Grade and High Street
Zip
95060
Total Acres
2,017
State Highways
Highway 1, Highway 9
Schools
UC Santa Cruz
Other Location Info
Main Residential Campus of UC Santa Cruz; 274 acres located west of Empire Grade are within the Coastal Zone
Notice of Determination
Approving Agency
University of California, Santa Cruz
Approving Agency Role
Lead Agency
Approved On
County Clerk
Santa Cruz
Final Environmental Document Available at
https://ppdo.ucsc.edu/campus-planning/environmental-planning/
Determinations
(1) The project will have a significant impact on the environment
Yes
(2a) An Environmental Impact Report was prepared for this project pursuant to the provisions of CEQA
Yes
(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 (Project-Specific Analysis and Addendum to the CalVTP Program EIR)
(3) Mitigated measures were made a condition of the approval of the project
Yes
(4) A mitigation reporting or monitoring plan was adopted for this project
Yes
(5) A Statement of Overriding Considerations was adopted for this project
Yes
(6) Findings were made pursuant to the provisions of CEQA
Yes
Attachments
Final Document(s) [Approved_Certified draft environmental documents]
Notice of Determination
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