Community Protection – Central and West Slope Project
Summary
SCH Number
2026071269
Public Agency
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
(CAL FIRE)
Document Title
Community Protection – Central and West Slope Project
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
7/31/2026
Document Description
The Community Protection – Central and West Slope Project is a U.S. Forest Service vegetation management project encompassing approximately 217,721 acres within the Plumas National Forest. CAL FIRE’s involvement is anticipated to include implementation of vegetation treatments and prescribed fire to support efforts to reduce wildfire risk to State Responsibility Area (SRA) communities and critical infrastructure, improve wildfire resilience in the wildland-urban interface (WUI) and support community protection and suppression efforts. Project activities include manual and mechanical treatments and prescribed fire. Equipment that could be used for treatments may include chainsaws, harvesters, forwarders, skid steers, excavators, dozers, loaders, tow chippers, tracked chippers, masticators, feller/bunchers, rubber-tired skidders, as well as tractor-trailer equipment transporters. Methods for applying fire would include ground ignition using a drip torch or similar method, aerial ignition using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or helicopters, or a combination of both. Fire will only be used under specific weather and fuel conditions, and in accordance with regulations and notification outlined in the Environmental Assessment. Project implementation by CAL FIRE will be conducted in accordance with the U.S.F.S. Environmental Assessment and applicable project design features, mitigation measures, and approval conditions.
Contact Information
Name
Glen Schall
Agency Name
CAL FIRE
Job Title
Unit Forester
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Email
Location
Counties
Modoc, Plumas
Regions
Northern California
Total Acres
217,721
Other Information
Portions of the Beckwourth, Feather River and Mt. Hough Ranger Districts in the Plumas National Forest
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Statutory Exemption
Type, Section or Code
PRC §4799.05(d)(4) – Projects on federal lands reviewed under NEPA
Reasons for Exemption
This project meets the requirements of PRC §4799.05(d)(4). It is a CAL FIRE project on 217,721 acres of federal lands that have been analyzed under National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The California Environmental Quality Act does not apply to prescribed fire, thinning, or fuel reduction projects undertaken on federal lands to reduce the risk of high-severity wildfire that have been reviewed under the NEPA if the primary role of a state or local agency is providing funding or staffing for those projects. Project design features relevant to the proposed action as listed in the Environmental Assessment Community Protection – Central and West Slope Project, dated June 2025 and signed July 2025, will be implemented.
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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