Feather Falls Campground Construction of Replacement Facilities After North Complex Fire

Butte County Resource Conservation is leading a project to rebuild the Feather Falls Campground and trailhead facilities in Butte County, California, which were destroyed by the 2020 North Complex Fire. Located on Forest Service land within the Mooretown Tribal Landscape at T. 20N., R. 6E., Sections 2 and 11, the project involves relocating the campground to a new site south of the trail parking and expanding the facility from five to eight campsites. The scope of work includes repairing the day use area, vault toilet building, and the Feather Falls Trailhead, as well as reconstructing the access road (NFS Road 21N35Y) to National Forest System standards. Additional infrastructure improvements include replacing the well water system with a submersible pump, installing new security lights, a new gate, and updated visitor information and entrance signage. The project is classified under NAICS code 237990 and is exempt from CEQA review under statutory exemption 15269(a) for disaster recovery. Strict environmental and resource protections are required, including the implementation of state-certified Best Management Practices for watershed and soil management and adherence to the 2018 Regional Programmatic Agreement for the protection of cultural and historic sites. Contractors must comply with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act and follow specific wildlife protection measures, such as reporting sensitive species to the District Wildlife Biologist and maintaining large snags for bats and woodpeckers. Operational requirements include maintaining public access to private property and National Forest roads, posting public safety signs, and adhering to specific equipment exclusion zones around perennial, intermittent, and ephemeral streams.