North Bay Forest Improvement Program - Don Ratcliff
Summary
SCH Number
2025100046
Public Agency
Mendocino County Resource Conservation District
Document Title
North Bay Forest Improvement Program - Don Ratcliff
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
10/1/2025
Document Description
Approximately 40 acres are to be treated. Project objective is to establish a shaded fuel break along the access road to slow wildfire behavior, improve
ingress/egress for emergency personnel, and provide a defensible fire line and staging area. Roadside fuel reduction shall extend 100 feet on either side of the
road. Low slopes and stable soils make the site suitable for mastication equipment. Mastication treatment will target suppressed trees less than or equal to 8 inches
diameter at breast height (DBH), along with dense brush and ladder fuels. Cutting and mastication shall occur simultaneously, with residues mulched to a depth no
greater than 4 inches and kept away from the boles of residual trees. Larger trees may be removed where doing so supports treatment objectives and the
development of desired stand structure, All residual trees 20 feet or greater in height shall be pruned from ground level to 8 to 10 feet, retaining at least 50% live
crown. Pruning will increase canopy base height, reduce vertical fire spread, and improve wood quality of future crop trees.
Contact Information
Name
Adam Coleman
Agency Name
Mendocino County Resource Conservation District
Job Title
Forestry Project Manager
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Address
Phone
Email
Location
Cities
Gualala
Counties
Mendocino
Regions
Northern California
Zip
95445
State Highways
HWY 1
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
Class 4; California Code of Regulations; Title 14; Code 15304
Reasons for Exemption
This project qualifies for a Categorical Exemption under CEQA Guidelines Section 15304, Minor Alterations to Land. The exemption applies to fuel management
activities within 100 feet of roads, including mastication, pruning, and understory thinning to reduce hazardous fuels. The project is exempt because the planned activities meet the definition of forestry in Public Resources Code 753, and have been reviewed and approved by a Registered Professional Forester in consultation
with experts from other pertinent fields. These experts have attested that the activities proposed in this project will only have the potential for impacts that are, at most,
less than significant to the environment, with adequate measures provided to avoid sensitive environmental resources. Project activities will not involve the removal of
healthy, mature, or scenic trees, and will not result in a substantial alteration of the current function of the land. Project-specific analysis is on file at the Resource
Conservation District.
County Clerk
Mendocino
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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