Lower Manzanita Phase 1
Summary
SCH Number
2025111091
Public Agency
Alpine County
Document Title
Lower Manzanita Phase 1
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
11/25/2025
Document Description
The project is located within the community of Markleeville, California. The project area is comprised of an ~30 acre treatment area consisting of two private landowner parcels. Parcel 001-080-097 (Boyde) consists of 2.0 acres, parcel 002-230-018 (Denio) consists of 20.0 acres in Markleevillage of eastern Alpine County. The Lower Manzanita Denio property is located at 41 Bryan Way, and the Boyde property is located at 457 Diamond Valley 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) Chipping/mulch of woody material in the masticated zones to retain soil moisture and aid in fire resilience. 4) Hauling of materials to a designated spot on project sites and access improvement/restoration. 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.
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
Samuel Booth
Agency Name
Alpine County
Job Title
Community Development Director
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Location
Cities
Markleeville
Counties
Alpine
Regions
Unincorporated
Cross Streets
Bryan Way and Diamond Valley Road
Total Acres
30
Parcel #
001-080-097 and 002-230-018
Airports
Alpine County Airport
Schools
Diamond Valley Elementary School
Waterways
East Fork Carson River
Other Location Info
T10N, R20E, S5 and T11N, 19E, S35 MDBM
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 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. 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 water 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. LTO and qualified biologist 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
Notice of Exemption
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