Cohasset Area Reforestation and Oak Restoration Program

The Butte County Resource Conservation District is leading the Cohasset Area Reforestation and Oak Restoration Program to restore 6,372 acres in Butte County, California, impacted by the 2024 Park Fire. Activities include planting climate-adapted native tree seeds and seedlings using the Climate Adapted Seed Tool, promoting natural regeneration through leader-training of oak resprouts, and managing pruned biomass via on-site chipping, broadcasting, lopping, piling, or controlled burning to create wildlife habitat. Treatments are designed to reduce future wildfire risk to communities, accelerate forest recovery, enhance native wildlife and plant habitat, improve watershed function, and increase ecosystem resilience to climate change. Work will occur within specific sections of T24N, R02E in the Cohasset area, adhering to California Code of Regulations Title 14 Section 916.5 for water protection zones and Butte County Noise Ordinance 2026a, with herbicide applications conducted by licensed professionals under agricultural permits and pile burning compliant with BCAQMD regulations. The project, scheduled to begin in July 2026, is being evaluated under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) with the goal of issuing a Negative Declaration based on findings that environmental impacts will be minimized or avoided through design measures such as resource surveys, buffer zones, and tribal consultation with the Konkow Valley Band of Maidu Indians and Redding Rancheria. Biological resource assessments and maps are referenced as key appendices supporting compliance. While no federal acquisition regulations or contract clauses are included, the program is administered by the Butte County Resource Conservation District with oversight from its Planning & Watershed Program Manager, and all field activities will be subject to verification of ecological outcomes and regulatory compliance. No contract value, payment details, invoicing protocols, or formal contracting officer roles are specified, indicating this is a project-focused environmental restoration effort led by a local agency with no structured federal procurement framework.