Pine Mountain Club Wildfire Defense Zone
Summary
SCH Number
2026060175
Public Agency
Kern County
Document Title
Pine Mountain Club Wildfire Defense Zone
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
6/4/2026
Document Description
This fuel reduction project is aimed at reducing fuel loading within the community of Pine Mountain Club to protect life, property, and natural resources from the threat of wildfire in the wildland-urban interface. The project boundary will consist of 2,427 acres, as shown on the attached project map (Attachment A) with pink shading. The goal is to treat approximately 386 acres of that land (proposed treatment areas shown in blue) using a variety of targeted vegetation management techniques.
This project is part of the Kern County Fire Department’s coordinated wildfire defense strategy for Pine Mountain Club, as outlined in the Kern County Community Wildfire Protection Plan (2022). It complements the separate but adjacent Pine Mountain Club Vegetation Project (Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration, prepared by SWCA Environmental Consultants for Kern County Fire Department, February 2026, SWCA Project No. 94176), which focuses on fuels reduction and shaded fuel break creation on approximately 212.42 acres of undeveloped wildland terrain immediately to the west of the community (view Attachment B for summary). Together, these two projects will establish a strategic, complimentary fuels reduction network across more than 500 acres, significantly enhancing protection for life, property, and natural resources in the wildland-urban interface while maintaining the community’s aesthetic and ecological character.
The fuels within the community are dense and thick and consist of a mix of brush and timber that create continuous ladder fuels and high fire hazard conditions throughout the developed areas and ridgelines. Crews will work off existing roadways throughout the community to thin the fuels in a strategic manner and use those areas thinned to connect to ridgeline fuel reduction work that is in the form of shaded fuel breaks to assist in wildfire control. Treatments will include hand thinning to selectively remove understory vegetation, piling of slash for later disposal, chipping of biomass to reduce fuel volume on site, masticating dense shrub fields, mowing of open grassy areas, lop and scatter methods to allow natural breakdown of debris, and pile burning when needed under controlled conditions and in compliance with air quality regulations. All work will be performed by trained crews following best management practices to avoid impacts to soil, water quality, wildlife, and cultural resources.
Contact Information
Name
Ethan Kennedy
Agency Name
Kern County Fire Department
Job Title
Fire Plan Engineer
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Location
Cities
Bakersfield
Counties
Kern
Regions
Countywide
Cross Streets
Mil Potrero Highway
Zip
93222
Total Acres
386
Township
9N
Range
21W
Section
19
Other Information
The project sits within the entire community of Pine Mountain Club.
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
Section 15301, (Class 1(C)) Existing Facilities Section 15304, (Class 4) Minor Alterations to Land
Reasons for Exemption
This project fits under California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines Section 15301 (Class 1 - existing facilities, specifically work conducted off existing roadways) and Section 15304 (Class 4 - minor public or private alterations in the condition of the land, water, and/or vegetation which do not involve the removal of healthy, mature, scenic trees except for forestry purposes). The area is under an immediate threat from wildfire and, due to the proximity to homes and the lack of recent large fire history, is a prime candidate for resource management/fuels reduction work. Field review by Kern County Fire Department staff confirmed that no exceptions apply that would preclude the use of a notice of exemption for this project (per CEQA Guidelines $15300.2). The proposed treatments are limited in scope, occur within or adjacent to developed areas, use low-impact methods (hand crews, chipping, mastication from existing roads), and incorporate best management practices to avoid impacts to soil, water quality, wildlife, and cultural resources. Furthermore, this project is complementary to the ongoing Pine Mountain Club Vegetation Project (Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration, February 2026), which addresses wildland fuels to the west under a Mitigated Negative Declaration. The combined efforts result in a net beneficial effect on wildfire risk reduction with no cumulatively considerable adverse environmental impacts when viewed in connection with past, present, and probable future projects in the area. Section 15061(b)(3) supports that CEQA applies only to projects with the potential for causing a significant effect on the the environment; here, it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility of a significant effect. 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, populations and housing, public services, recreation, transportation/traffic, utilities and service systems, or to wildlife.
County Clerk
Kern
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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