Thornburg/Shokouh Fuels Reduction Project
2 Documents in Project
Summary
SCH Number
2025100167
Public Agency
Alpine County
Document Title
Thornburg/Shokouh Fuels Reduction Project
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
10/3/2025
Document Description
The project is located within the community of Markleeville, California. The project area is comprised of an 80 acre treatment area consisting of two private landowner parcels, each ~ 40 acres in Markleevillage of eastern Alpine County. The Thornburg property is located at 79 Sawmill Road, and the Shokouh property is located at 235 Pinion Road. The project areas are dominated by native sagebrush habitat of California Wildlife Habitat Relationship (CWHR) size class varies, and fire damaged conifers that range from 4-14” DBH. The proposed project will reduce the continuity of sagebrush and hazard trees in an effort to reduce hazardous fuel loading and arrangement such that the flame length, intensity, rate of spread, and duration of potential wildfire is reduced. The proposed project will 1) Utilize mechanical mastication to reduce the extent of sagebrush on site, targeting 70% of the sage for mastication, 2) leave remaining sagebrush in a discontinuous, mosaic fashion 30% for habitat which will not contribute to horizontal or vertical fuels, 3) off-haul and/or chip/mulch debris in the masticated zones to retain soil moisture and aid in fire resilience. lop and scatter of nominal dead and dying conifers through hand operations with assistance from machinery, and 4) deck/remove hand felled or mechanical logging of 4” to 14” DBH conifers present within the project area and limb remaining trees to a minimum height of 10 feet as measured from the lowest live green limb to the top of the surface fuels. Any riparian species on the Shokouh property will be retained and left unaltered. Conifer Snags 16”+ DBH and over 20 feet tall shall be retained at a minimum rate of 2 per acre where they exist in the preharvest stand provided they do not pose a safety risk during and following operations. The desired, post treatment stand conditions will not contribute to initiating or sustaining a crown fire and will have projected flame lengths of less than 2-4 feet in the surface fuels, with increased resilience to wildfire. The resulting stand would appear well thinned with the primary carrier of the fire being leaves and/or grasses. The proposed action will effectively reduce hazardous fuels within the project area.
Contact Information
Name
Nevada Environmental Conulting, LLC
Agency Name
Consultant for Alpine Fire Safe Coucil
Job Title
State and Private Lands Forestry Coordinator
Contact Types
Project Applicant
Phone
Email
Location
Cities
Unincorporated area
Counties
Alpine
Regions
Countywide
Cross Streets
Sawmill Rd and Pleasant Valley Rd.
Zip
96120
Total Acres
80
State Highways
State Route 89
Airports
Alpine County Airport
Township
10N
Range
20E
Section
294
Base
MDBM
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
Class 4, 15304 Minor Alterations to Land
Reasons for Exemption
This project fits under Categorical Exemption: 15304 Minor Alterations to Land (Class 4) which allows minor
alteration of vegetation including fuel management activities to reduce volume of flammable vegetation, provided
the activities do not result in the taking of endangered, rare, or threatened plant/animal species or cause significant
erosion and sedimentation of waters. The removal of brush will be restricted to those that reduce the vertical and
horizontal continuity of fuels, and/or provide for improved ingress/egress in the event of wildfire. The proposed
project has been designed to protect hydrology and soil resources to prevent significant erosion or sedimentation.
The project, as designed, is consistent with the use of a Categorical Exemption. See attached project environmental review report for further information.
County Clerk
Alpine
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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