Butte County East Oroville Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project (BCFSC Program), PROJ26-0027
Summary
SCH Number
2026010899
Public Agency
Butte County
Document Title
Butte County East Oroville Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project (BCFSC Program), PROJ26-0027
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
1/27/2026
Document Description
The scope of the project is to implement vegetation management projects in the East Oroville area to reduce the risk of wildfire and benefit forest health and implement planting native vegetation in areas affected by wildfire. East Oroville is a Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) community where strategic management and control of wildland vegetation is essential to the safety, and health of the community of Oroville and Kelly Ridge. Vegetation management treatments include hand cutting and lop and scatter or pile burning; hand cutting and chipping; mechanical mastication; prescribed fire or cultural burning; goat grazing, herbicide treatment and replanting native vegetation.
The purpose of the proposed project is to protect the community and infrastructure of Oroville, Oroville Dam, Lake Oroville Recreation Area, and associated public and private roads. Project activities will be utilized to protect water resources, improve overall forest health and facilitate the safe and effective implementation of prescribed fire or cultural burning at a landscape scale.
The Butte County Fire Safe Council process within the project area offers a rational approach, operation consistency, expertise and measure of effectiveness that would not otherwise be initiated or achieved by the work of individual property owners. Vegetation management work areas within the project area are dependent upon funding availability and timing; and, property owner participation.
Contact Information
Name
Mark Michelena
Agency Name
Butte County
Job Title
Principal Planner
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Name
Terry Nilson
Agency Name
Butte County Fire Safe Council
Job Title
Executive Director
Contact Types
Project Applicant
Phone
Location
Coordinates
Cities
Unincorporated area
Counties
Butte
Regions
Countywide, Unincorporated
Zip
95965
Total Acres
7,246
Parcel #
Numerous
State Highways
162
Railways
UPRR
Airports
None
Schools
Ophir ES, Oroville Christian, Ishi Hills MS, Stanford Ave
Waterways
Feather River, Lake Oroville, Oregon Gulch, Oroville Lateral, Palermo Canal
Township
19N
Range
4E
Section
2
Base
MDB&M
Other Location Info
Area is in multiple Sections, Townships and Ranges
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Ministerial
Type, Section or Code
15304
Reasons for Exemption
The project is classified as a Class 4 Categorical Exemption, under CEQA Guidelines Section 15304 Minor Alterations to Land. The project consists of minor treatments to land and vegetation in the form of hand clearing, grazing, prescribed fire, cultural burning and machine mastication of brush, small trees (trees 10” and less in diameter) and dead woody debris (snags less than 15” in diameter that pose a threat to public safety). Fuels will be lopped and scattered, lopped and removed, chipped, or hand piled for burning later in the season when moisture levels are sufficiently high enough to allow for safe disposal and minimal risk for escape. The activities do not result in the taking of endangered, rare, or threatened plant or animal species, or sedimentation to surface waters.
County Clerk
Butte
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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