City of Ventura - Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project
Summary
SCH Number
2025090286
Public Agency
City of San Buenaventura
Document Title
City of Ventura - Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
9/8/2025
Document Description
The City of Ventura proposes a comprehensive Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project funded by a combination of Federal HMGP and local matching funds to mitigate wildfire risks associated with 190.63 acres of city-owned barrancas. These densely vegetated areas, spanning 28 09 miles of channels within city limits, pose significant fire hazards due to unmanaged, overgrown vegetation adjacent to residential areas and high fire hazard severity zones. The project aims to establish a fuels management and modification program to reduce the risk of wildfire ignition and rapid spread, enhancing public safety, protecting property, and improving community resilience. By implementing strategic vegetation management, the project will create defensible spaces, reduce fuel loads, and disrupt potential fire corridors. The project will focus on removing dead, dying and diseased vegetation, and will target areas for replanting with native species. The project will benefit the residents of the City of Ventura.
Contact Information
Name
Mackenzie Douglass
Agency Name
City of San Buenaventura
Job Title
Emergency Services Manager
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Address
Phone
Location
Cities
Ventura
Counties
Ventura
Regions
Citywide
Other Information
190.63 acres of city-owned barrancas along 28.09 miles of channels within City limits.
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
15304.i: Minor Alterations of Land: Fuel Management Activities
Reasons for Exemption
The proposed project involves fuel management through vegetation thinning and fuel break construction to reduce flammable materials, targeting dead/dying vegetation within or near 30-100 feet of structures. It is support by public funding (FEMA and local match) and aligns with CAL FIRE's fire prevention goals, meeting the exemption's funding criterion. Surveys and mitigation prevent interference with endangered species and habitats, BMPs (e.g. slit fences, dry-season work) minimize erosion and sedimentation near waterbodies, ensuring no significant impacts. The project's shallow disturbance and targeted scope qualify as minor alterations, with native planting restoring ecosystems. The project's design, mitigation measures, and compliance with regulatory standards ensure it meets Section 15304(i) criteria without triggering CEQA exception, making it exempt from further environmental review.
County Clerk
Ventura
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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