Digier Wildfire Defense Project
Summary
SCH Number
2026060369
Public Agency
Kern County
Document Title
Digier Wildfire Defense Project
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
6/9/2026
Document Description
This fuel reduction project is aimed at reducing fuels along 6 miles of Digier Rd and adjacent canyons that pose a threat to life property and the environment. The proposed project is located entirely off Digier Rd. There is one ephemeral drainage that runs from Interstate 5 for .5 miles that connects to Digier Rd. This drainage has been used in years past as a fire control line to protect the homes to the south of this location. Crews will remove fuels on Digier Rd approximately 25 feet on either side. Crews will also thin and remove fuels within the drainage to ensure that the integrity of the bottom of the canyon stays intact with surface fuels to prevent eroding, maintain habitat, and to ensure water flow paths. The total project area is within the High and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones as determined by CalFIRE on privately-owned property.
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
Digier Rd
Zip
93243
Total Acres
40
State Highways
Interstate 5
Schools
El Tejon Unified School District
Township
9N
Range
19W
Section
S 7&8
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 sections of California Environmental Quality Act guidelines section 15301 Class 1 and section 15304 Class 4. The area is under an immediate threat from wildfire and due to the proximity to homes and fire history is a prime candidate for resource management/fuels reduction work. The Class 1 exemption is in place to work off of the existing fire road and the Class 4 exemption due to “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 and agricultural purposes.”
Section 15061(b) (3) states “The activity is covered by the general rule that CEQA applies only to projects, which have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA.”
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. 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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