Mud Run Fire Control Road Maintenance Project
Summary
SCH Number
2026020895
Public Agency
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
(CAL FIRE)
Document Title
Mud Run Fire Control Road Maintenance Project
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
2/24/2026
Document Description
The Mud Run Fire Control Road Maintenance project is located near the community of Coalinga, CA between 1400’ and 2600’ elevation, and can be accessed from Los Gatos rd. The project lies in the eastern foothills of the Coastal Mountain Range and is primarily considered Oak Woodland habitat. This 163-acre fuel break is an existing fire control road which has been used in the Fresno-Kings Unit for years to control the spread of wildland fires in the vicinity. The scope of this fuel reduction project is to remove the dead hazard trees, thin the understory, and to remove the brush creating a shaded fuel break within 100’ on each side of the road. No project activities will occur in locations where slope instability or sediment delivery could occur. Additional work includes the future maintenance of the fuel break, road, and road prism. Work will be done by grading, mastication, chipping, chainsaws, and pruning with some hand work, pile/burn, and the potential for small scale broadcast burning. Control lines for broadcast burning will consist of existing roads, existing dozer line, hand line, and or wet line. Existing dozer line will be maintained by scraping with hand tools to remove vegetation. Dead and dying trees will be felled, trees less than eight inches at breast height maybe removed or thinned, and trees greater than 8 inches may be pruned at least six to eight feet above the ground reducing the fuel ladders.
Contact Information
Name
Nicolas Meyer
Agency Name
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE)
Job Title
Environmental Scientist
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Location
Cities
Coalinga
Counties
Fresno
Regions
Southern California
Total Acres
163
Other Location Info
T. 20S R. 23E, Section 1, 12, 13 and T. 20S R. 14E, Section 6, 7, 18, 19, 20 MDBM
Sherman Peak and Alcalde Hills, California 7.5-minute quadrangle
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
Class 4 §15304 Minor Alterations to Land
Reasons for Exemption
This project fits into a Class 4 Categorical Exemption to CEQA (15304 minor alterations to land). Field review by a CAL FIRE Unit Environmental Scientist confirmed that no exceptions apply which would preclude the use of a Notice of Exemption for this project. The Department has concluded that no significant environmental impact would occur to aesthetics, agriculture and forestland/timberland, air quality, biological resources, cultural resources, energy, 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/traffic, or to utilities and service systems and wildfire following approval and implementation of this project. Documentation of the environmental review completed by the Department is kept on file at CAL FIRE Fresno-Kings Unit Headquarters at 210 South Academy Avenue, Sanger, CA 93657.
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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