Blue Rush, 10S18 RTM - Good Neighbor Authority

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection will execute the Blue Rush, 10S18 RTM project on over 4,837 acres of the Sierra National Forest. This initiative focuses on comprehensive fuel reduction and forest restoration, utilizing hand crews, masticators, excavators, and dozers. Key activities include prescribed fire preparation, fireline and pile creation, pre-commercial thinning, seedling release, and the creation and maintenance of fuel breaks using herbicides. The project also encompasses hazard tree removal and both pile and broadcast burning to mitigate fire risks. Operated under the Good Neighbor Authority Agreement Sierra Nevada #25-GN-11052007-009 signed on September 12, 2025, this project allows CAL FIRE to apply its standard procedures and contracting mechanisms to federal lands. The work is consistent with the Blue Rush Project NEPA decision from December 2017 and is statutorily exempt under the California Environmental Quality Act per Public Resources Code 4799.05(d)(1). The project is managed by the CAL FIRE Fresno-Kings Unit, with Nick Kent serving as the primary point of contact.