Hopland Station Fuel Reduction Project
Summary
SCH Number
2026060721
Public Agency
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
(CAL FIRE)
Document Title
Hopland Station Fuel Reduction Project
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
6/16/2026
Document Description
The purpose of this project is to reduce wildfire risk on approximately 8 acres of State property at the CAL FIRE Hopland Fire Station through fuel reduction treatments. The station is in Battalion 3 of the Mendocino Unit, located along highway 101, approximately two miles north of the town of Hopland. The CAL FIRE Hopland Fire Station is located in and adjacent to an oak woodland hardwood forest interspersed with madrone, a few pines, grassy openings and some shrubs. The property contains multiple buildings for CAL FIRE staff in a wildland interface and serves as housing for firefighters. Annual vegetation management activities are necessary to maintain the grounds in a manner that reduces vegetative fuels around buildings to lower fire risk and remove trees that pose a fire and/or safety risk to structures, property, and human life. Fuel reduction activities involve the use of hand crews, chainsaws (tree falling, bucking, and brushing), pole saws, chippers, heavy equipment, and pile and broadcast burning. Live trees 12-inches in diameter or less, may be removed when appropriate to improve spacing or forest health, and logs will be bucked and pile burned, or left on site. Larger trees may be pruned to provide for a vertical clearance of up to 14 feet. Hazard trees, snags, and dead or dying trees of any size may be removed. These activities also serve as training opportunities for unit fire fighters such as chainsaw operations, putting live fire on the ground, constructing fire lines, and simulating mop-up operations. This project includes long term fuel reduction and hazard tree removal as needed.
Contact Information
Name
Lane Japp
Agency Name
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
Job Title
Forestry Assistant II
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Email
Location
Cities
Hopland
Counties
Mendocino
Regions
Northern California
Total Acres
8
State Highways
Highway 101
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
Class 4; Section 15301
Reasons for Exemption
The project meets the requirements of a CEQA Article 19 Class 4 Categorical exemption “Minor Alterations to Land” (Section 15304, Public Resources Code) as the proposed fuel management activities entail understory brush removal, 12-inches DBH or less tree removal, thinning, pruning, chipping, mastication, pile burning, and dead/tree removal to improve access and reduce volume of flammable vegetation. As such, CAL FIRE 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, utilities, and service systems, or to wildfire. No exceptions apply (Section 15300.2) which would preclude the use of a Notice of Exemption for this project. Documentation of the environmental review completed by the Department is kept on file at CAL FIRE Mendocino Unit, 802 N. Main Street. Attn. VMP Coordinator.
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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