North Bay Forest Improvement Program - Camp Mendocino

The North Bay Forest Improvement Program at Camp Mendocino, managed by the Mendocino County Resource Conservation District, is a vegetation management project designed to improve forest health and mitigate wildfire risk. The scope of work involves treating approximately 66 acres of land located in Willits, California, distributed across three management units: Unit 1 (19 acres), Unit 2 (35 acres), and Unit 3 (12 acres). The primary objective is to transition the area into a mixed forest with improved spacing among residual conifers and oaks, reduced tanoak dominance, and lowered fuel continuity. To achieve this, the project requires the removal of at least 85% of tanoak stems up to 12 inches DBH, prioritizing suppressed, defective, or overtopped trees, while retaining a limited cohort of healthy individuals to maintain species diversity. All vegetation management must be performed using selective, single-stem herbicide applications, such as hack-and-squirt, basal bark, or injection methods. To prevent resprouting, shrubby tanoak and stems less than 4 inches DBH must also be treated. All herbicide applications must be carried out by a licensed Pest Control Business or a California DPR-licensed Qualified Applicator (QAL/QAC, Category B: Forest) in strict compliance with product label requirements and County Agricultural Commissioner regulations. The project has received a Categorical Exemption under CEQA Guidelines Section 15304 for Minor Alterations to Land, as the activities focus on fuel management and forest improvement without the removal of healthy, mature, or scenic trees.