Upper Mill Creek Forest Health Project

The Upper Mill Creek Forest Health Project is a forecast initiative led by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Region 6 - Inland Deserts, to improve wildlife habitat, forest health, and fire resiliency. The project focuses on the riparian corridor of upper Mill Creek and its associated tributaries within the Grouse Meadow Unit of the Slinkard-Little Antelope Wildlife Area in Mono County, California. Specifically, the scope of work involves thinning overstocked conifer stands and pruning lower branches to eliminate hazardous ladder fuels across approximately 60 acres of the 280-acre unit. All activities are to be executed by hand crews under NAICS code 115310. The project is managed by Senior Environmental Scientist Aaron Johnson and is documented as exempt from further environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act. It relies on Class 4, 7, and 8 Categorical Exemptions, which cover minor land alterations and actions by regulatory agencies for the protection of natural resources and the environment. The project was formally signed on August 12, 2026, and was posted as a forecast on August 13, 2026.