Trinity River Fishing Access and Indian Creek Public Access Hazardous Fuel Reduction Project

2025091056

California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Northern and Eureka Region 1 (CDFW)

NOE - Notice of Exemption

9/23/2025

9/23/2025

Teresa R Spade

California Department of Fish and Wildlife

Environmental Scientist

Lead/Public Agency / Project Applicant / Parties Undertaking Project

601 Locust Street
Redding, CA 96001

(530) 319-1345

teresa.spade@wildlife.ca.gov

96024

~80

015-460-27, 015-300-03, 015-440-50, 015-440-16, and 025-460-16

CA 299, CA 3

Douglas City Elementary School

Trinity River

Properties are located near or adjacent to CA 299 and the Trinity River, in the general vicinity of Douglas City in Trinity County.

Categorical Exemption

Class 4, Section 15304, and Class 8, Section 15308

CDFW finds the Project to be exempt pursuant to CEQA guidelines Section 15304, the exemption for “Minor Alterations to Land.” Class 4, as relevant here, consists of minor public or private alterations in the condition of land, water and/or vegetation, which do not involve removal of healthy, mature, scenic trees except for forestry or agriculture purposes. The project falls within the class because it involves minor public alterations to land consisting of alterations in the condition of vegetation. The project does not involve the removal of healthy, mature, scenic trees. CDFW finds the Project to be exempt pursuant to CEQA guidelines Section 15308, the exemption for “Actions by Regulatory Agencies for Protection of the Environment.” Class 8, as relevant here, consists of actions taken by regulatory agencies, as authorized by state or local ordinance, to assure the maintenance, restoration, enhancement, or protection of the environment where the regulatory process involves procedures for protection of the environment. Construction activities and relaxation of standards allowing environmental degradation are not included in this exemption. The project falls within the class because CDFW is a regulatory agency authorized by California Fish and Game Code and its mission (ie § 712.1. (a)(1) and (2)), to manage California’s diverse fish, wildlife and plant resources and their habitats, including but not limited to the management of departmental lands and facilities. CDFW is additionally tasked by the Governor’s Forest Management Task Force in the comprehensive strategy outlined in the 2021 document, “California’s Wildfire and Forest Resilience Action Plan,” to expand forest management on state-owned lands, to improve resilience against wildfires and other impacts of climate change, and assist Calfire and other state agencies in scaling up fuel treatments to the target of 500,000 acres annually. Fire resiliency activities proposed are for the protection of the environment to reduce the potential for devastating catastrophic wildfire through fuel load reduction. The project does not include proposed construction, or relaxation of environmental standards that would result in environmental degradation.