North Bay Forest Improvement Program - Perry Project

The North Bay Forest Improvement Program - Perry Project, managed by the Sonoma Resource Conservation District, involves forestry treatments on a private shared road off Fort Ross Road in Cazadero, Sonoma County. Spanning three separate ownerships, the project targets the removal of 150 to 200 trees per acre within 50 feet of both sides of the road, specifically focusing on trees with a diameter at breast height between 4 and 12 inches. The work will be executed using hand crews and a masticator, with all slash and woody residue masticated within the same 50-foot corridor. The project area features diverse coastal range vegetation, including coast live oak, Douglas-fir, and coast redwood, across terrain ranging from moderate to extremely steep slopes. Operational activities are subject to strict environmental constraints to protect species listed under the Federal or State Endangered Species Act, requiring clearance from a qualified Registered Professional Forester or biologist. Specific watercourse buffers are mandated, including a 50-foot buffer for Class II watercourses and a 75-foot buffer for Class I watercourses on side slopes under 50 percent, with an additional 25-foot buffer required for slopes exceeding 50 percent. The project is filed as a Notice of Exemption under California Public Resources Code section 15304, certifying that the activities meet the legal definition of forestry and will have less than significant environmental impact.