Thornbug/Shokouh Fuels Reduction Project
2 Documents in Project
Summary
SCH Number
2025100167
Public Agency
Alpine County
Document Title
Thornbug/Shokouh Fuels Reduction Project
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
12/15/2025
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
Sam Booth
Agency Name
Alpine County
Job Title
Community Development Director
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Location
Counties
Alpine
Regions
Unincorporated
Total Acres
80
State Highways
88 and 89
Airports
Alpine County Airport
Schools
Diamond Valley Elementary School
Township
10 N
Range
20 E
Section
294
Other Information
Located at 79 Sawmill Road, and the Shokouh property is located at 235 Pinion Road
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
Class 4, 15304 Minor Alterations to Land
Reasons for Exemption
Class 4 15304 Minor Alterations to Land allowing 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. Brush targeted for mastication, lop and scatter of dead conifers, and pruning of residual trees will be restricted to those that reduce the vertical and horizontal continuity of fuels. The proposed project has been designed to protect hydrology and soil resources to prevent significant erosion or sedimentation of waters. The project, as designed, is consistent with the use of a Categorical Exemption. Field review confirmed that no exceptions apply that would preclude the use of a notice of exemption for this project. The LTO has concluded that no significant environmental impact would occur to aesthetics, agriculture and forestland or timberland, air quality, biological resources, energy, cultural resources, geology and soils, greenhouse gas emissions, hazards and hazardous materials, hydrology and water quality, land use planning, mineral resources, noise, population and housing, public services & recreation, transportation or traffic, wildfire, or to utilities and service systems. USDA FSA EFRP site visits and review were conducted on these lands post Tamarack Fire in 2021/2022 and confirm that fuels reduction is accepted as part of Alpine County Restoration efforts and supports the continued forest health improvements to return the landscapes to pre-fire and long-term health conditions.
County Clerk
Alpine
Attachments
Final Document(s) [Approved_Certified draft environmental documents]
Notice of Exemption
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