Rock Creek Road Fuel Break (307-6)

The project is located on privately owned Sierra Pacific Industries (SPI) timberlands in southern Shasta County, California, along Rock Creek Road beginning at the intersection with Forwards Mill Road and extending approximately 0.55 miles northeast to approximately 300 feet west of Carobe Lake. The treatment area extends up to approximately 650 feet from the roadway edge, where necessary to establish an effective shaded fuel break while avoiding sensitive resources. The total treatment area will not exceed 30 acres. The project location is shown on the attached project map and can be further identified by the applicable APNs, Township/Range/Section, and/or geographic coordinates included in the project administrative record. Existing vegetation consists primarily of mixed conifer forest with intermixed hardwoods, dense brush fields, regenerating conifers, and accumulations of dead and down woody material resulting from decades of fire exclusion and previous disturbance. Surface and ladder fuels provide vertical fuel continuity capable of supporting high-intensity wildfire and crown fire spread adjacent to Rock Creek Road. Terrain consists of gently rolling to moderately steep forested slopes typical of the Manton area with generally stable volcanic-derived soils. Mechanical mastication will primarily target shrubs, brush, small trees, and ladder fuels. Removal of trees will generally be limited to suppressed or nonmerchantable conifers and hardwoods less than 10 inches DBH. Approximately 60-80 percent of understory vegetation within treatment areas may be reduced while retaining healthy mature overstory trees to maintain canopy cover, longterm forest health, wildlife habitat, and shaded fuel break characteristics. The Rock Creek Road Fuel Break Project consists of mechanical fuels reduction activities intended to reduce hazardous wildfire fuels and improve wildfire resilience adjacent to Rock Creek Road within the Manton Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI). Total Project area not to exceed 30 acres. Project activities include: •Mechanical mastication of understory vegetation. • Removal of non-merchantable conifer and hardwood trees less than ten (10) inches diameter at breast height (DBH). • Removal of brush, ladder fuels, and downed woody material. • Retention of healthy mature overstory trees to maintain a shaded fuel break. • Distribution of masticated material across the treatment area with average slash depths not exceeding twelve (12) inches. • Minor incidental use of existing access routes necessary to conduct treatment activities. No commercial timber harvest is proposed. No road construction, road widening, grading, stream alteration, or permanent land conversion is proposed. The project is intended to reduce wildfire intensity, improve firefighter access, enhance secondary emergency ingress and egress for the Manton community, and protect nearby residences, utility infrastructure, and forest resources. Construction is anticipated to commence during Fall 2026. Mandatory Project Design Features and Environmental Protection Measure The following measures are mandatory components of project implementation and shall be incorporated into all project activities. Compliance with these measures is required to avoid or minimize potential impacts to biological, cultural, water quality, and other environmental resources. Supporting biological reviews, cultural resource reviews, Sierra Pacific Industries operational requirements, applicable resource maps, and associated documentation shall be maintained in the project administrative record: • Compliance with applicable California Forest Practice Rules. • Compliance with Sierra Pacific Industries operational requirements. • Mechanical operations shall occur only during suitable soil moisture conditions to minimize rutting, compaction, and erosion. • Protection of Class I, II, and III watercourses in accordance with applicable regulations. • Avoidance of wetlands, meadows, springs, and other sensitive habitats. • Retention of healthy overstory trees. • Immediate stabilization of disturbed soils where necessary. • Suspension of work if protected wildlife species or active nests are encountered until appropriate resource protection measures are implemented. • All applicable resource protection buffers identified during biological or cultural resource review shall be flagged or otherwise identified in the field prior to treatment. • Equipment shall remain outside excluded resource areas shown on project maps. • Previously undiscovered cultural resources shall immediately halt work in the vicinity until appropriately evaluated. Prior to implementation, the project shall undergo an appropriate cultural resources review consistent with applicable state and federal requirements, as appropriate for project funding and permitting. Existing cultural resource information, project maps, and available records shall be reviewed to identify known cultural resources within or adjacent to the project area. Sierra Pacific Industries resource protection requirements and any recommended avoidance measures shall be incorporated into project implementation. Documentation of the cultural resources review, applicable resource maps, and correspondence shall be maintained in the project administrative record.