Milestones

Final Environmental Impact Statement and Draft Record of Decision for the North Yuba Landscape Resilience Project – April 2023

On Friday, April 7, 2023, the U.S. Forest Service published the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) and Draft Record of Decision (ROD) and supporting documents for the North Yuba Landscape Resilience Project.

The FEIS, Draft ROD and supporting documents are available here.

The FEIS discloses potential environmental impacts associated with Alternative 2, the preferred alternative. A final 45-day objection comment period is now active. Following the 45-days, a final ROD will be published.

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Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the North Yuba Landscape Resilience Project – November 2022

On Friday, November 18, 2022, the U.S. Forest Service published the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) and supporting documents for the North Yuba Landscape Resilience Project.

The DEIS and supporting documents are available here.

The DEIS presents a suite of proposed actions and two alternatives to that proposal designed to reduce wildfire risk and to improve forest health and resilience. The actions proposed include reducing fuel loading, reducing stand densities, developing large trees, creating heterogeneous stand structures, and promoting tree species composition aligned with an active fire regime. These actions would be accomplished using prescribed fire, thinning from below, variable density thinning, creation of 1- to 3-acre openings, strategic tree planting, and sanitation and stand improvement. The DEIS presents an analysis addressing the potential direct, indirect, and cumulative environmental effects related to issues that may occur from the proposed actions.

The following information can be found at the U.S. Forest Service page dedicated to the North Yuba Landscape Resilience Project DEIS: overview of the project, project details and location, and official documents including:

Draft Environmental Impact Statement (full)
- Appendix A: outlining the Purpose and Need and Proposed Action for this project
- Appendix B: outlining Forest Plan Amendments proposed for this project
- Appendix C: outlining Management Requirements for this project
- Appendix D: outlining Cumulative Projects for this project, including locations, management areas, years active, and affected resources of individual projects within the NYLRP project area
A folder containing Specialist Reports for impacts to natural resources as analyzed for this project
A folder for official Comments and Objections to be submitted on this project, and a page for comment submission instructions.
A folder containing materials and resources from the Scoping phase of the project, which took place in 2021 (see information below on “Notice of Intent” for the project).

The public comment period for the DEIS will last for 45 days, beginning on Friday, November 18th, 2022.

The Tahoe National Forest will be hosting two public meetings to discuss the project with the public and answer questions. All are welcome to attend. Public meeting information is as follows:

Dec. 1, 2022 – 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.

Camptonville School Auditorium

16585 School St., Camptonville, Calif. 95922

Dec. 7, 2022 – 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.

Downieville Community Hall

27 Main St., Downieville, Calif. 95936

The meetings will begin with an in-person and virtual presentation followed by an in-person open house session.

What happens after the DEIS comment period ends?

After the 45-day comment period concludes, the U.S. Forest Service will review all submitted comments, at which time a final EIS will be prepared and published. A final comment and objection period will be held for the final EIS. After managing any submitted objections on the project, a decision on the proposed action, selected alternative, or no action is then recorded within a Record of Decision (ROD) document.

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Notice of Intent for the North Yuba Landscape Resilience Project -- September 2021

On September 16, 2021, the U.S. Forest Service released the Notice of Intent for the North Yuba Landscape Resilience Project Environmental Impact Statement (the NOI), which is available here. The NOI provides:

1) A description of the purpose and need of the project. The purpose and need of the project were developed by not only the U.S. Forest Service but the North Yuba Forest Partnership (NYFP) as well.

2) A description of the proposed action. The proposed action is a proposal by the Forest Service to recommend or implement an action on National Forest System lands.

In the case of the of the upcoming NOI, the proposed action is essentially a description of how the U.S Forest Service and the NYFP propose to (1) improve and restore forest health and resilience, (2) reduce the risk of high-severity wildfire that threatens communities and wildlife, (3) protect local communities from the threat of high-severity wildfire and climate change, and (4) protect and secure water supplies, including rivers, streams, and meadows.

3) The initial public comment period for scoping for the Environmental Impact Statement lasted 30 days. The public was invited to attend public scoping meetings about the project. These meetings, which occurred on September 22 and September 30, 2021, provided attendees with a summary of the proposed action and opportunities for questions. The recording for Meeting 1 is available here. Presentation slides are available here. The recording for Meeting 2 is available here. Presentation slides available here

4) Methods by which public comments can be provided during scoping.

For more information about the NEPA process, read our eNews article here.