Forest of Nisene Marks State Park Project
181 Documents in Project
Summary
SCH Number
2019012052
Lead Agency
California Department of Parks and Recreation
Document Title
Forest of Nisene Marks State Park Project
Document Type
NOD - Notice of Determination
Received
Posted
8/4/2026
Document Description
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention (CAL FIRE) is providing funding to help implement treatments on State Responsibility Area (SRA) lands in the Forest of Nisene Marks State Park, north of the city of Aptos, Santa Cruz County. The California Department of Parks and Recreation has prepared a Project-Specific Analysis (PSA) and addendum for the project as a later activity covered by the California Vegetation Treatment Project (CalVTP) Program Environmental Impact Report (PEIR) for the Forest of Nisene Marks State Park Project, which entails implementation of vegetation treatments on up to 9,955 acres; CAL FIRE is providing funding to the Resource Conservation District of Santa Cruz County to implement treatments on up to 220 acres. The proposed treatment types (WUI Fuel Reduction and Ecological Restoration) and treatment activities (manual thinning, mastication, and prescribed burning) are consistent with those evaluated in the CalVTP Program EIR and the writ of mandate issued by the Superior Court of San Diego on November 14, 2025 in California Chaparral Institute and Endangered Habitats League v. Board of Forestry and Fire Protection, and pursuant to PRC § 4483, have been designed to avoid type conversion in areas where chaparral and/or coastal sage scrub plant communities may be present. Maintenance treatments would involve the same vegetation treatment types and activities used in the initial treatments. The purpose of these treatments is to promote forest and watershed health, reduce fuel load, and demonstrate efficacy of climate beneficial prescriptions.
Contact Information
Name
Shannon Johnson
Agency Name
California Department of Foresty and Fire Protection
Job Title
Staff Chief
Contact Types
Responsible Agency
Phone
Name
Laurel Bard
Agency Name
Resource Conservation District of Santa Cruz County
Job Title
Forest Health Project Manager
Contact Types
Project Applicant / Parties Undertaking Project
Phone
Email
Name
Linda Hitchcock
Agency Name
California Department of Parks and Recreation
Job Title
Senior Park and Recreation Specialist
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Location
Cities
north of the City of Aptos
Counties
Santa Cruz
Regions
Northern California
Total Acres
220
Other Location Info
North of the City of Aptos, Santa Cruz County
Notice of Determination
Approving Agency
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
Approving Agency Role
Responsible Agency
Approved On
County Clerk
Santa Cruz
Final Environmental Document Available at
This is to certify that the Forest of Nisene Marks State Park Project PSA and Addendum and record of project approval for the CalVTP Program EIR are available to the public on the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection webpage with the environmental documentation associated with individual approved CalVTP projects: https://bof.fire.ca.gov/projects-and-programs/calvtp-homepage-and-storymap/.
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)
(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
Notice of Determination
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