Notice of Intent to Adopt a Negative Declaration: "Cohasset Area Reforestation and Oak Restoration Program" Posted on May 14, 2026 LEAD AGENCY: Butte County Resource Conservation District 150 Chuck Yeager Way, Ste A, Oroville, CA 95965 CONTACT PERSON: Wolfgang Rougle, Planning & Watershed Program Manager, (530) 721-0164 PROJECT LOCATION: The project is located on various private landowner-ships in Butte County, California. The program area spans 6,372 acres, including all of the following sections: T24N, R02E, sections 13, 23, 24, & 26. It also covers parts of the following sections: T24N, R02E, sections 11, 12, 14, 15, 22, 27, 28, 33, 34, 35; T23N, R02E, sections 3 and 4; and T24N, R03E, section 18. Elevations in the program area range from 1,675 to 3,550 feet above sea level. PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Various partners, notably the Butte County Fire Safe Council, propose to restore burned mixed conifer-hardwood forest stands after the 2024 Park Fire in a 6,372-acre area around Cohasset, California. Activities would only be conducted with landowner permission. The program incorporates resource surveys prior to on-the-ground activities, as described in the draft ND. The program would consist of: 1) Planting seeds and seedlings (with or without site preparation which may include herbicide applied in accordance with a recommendation from a California-licensed Pest Control Advisor) of California native trees, adapted to the local climate as modelled over the coming 50 years; 2) Leader-training existing hardwood resprouts, to encourage faster development of woodland structure; and 3) Processing of pruned material by either chipping & broadcasting on site, hauling off-site, lopping & scattering, piling and burning, or piling for wildlife without burning. ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION: A draft Negative Declaration (DND) has been prepared by the Butte County Resource Conservation District as lead agency. The DND is in conformance with Section 15070, Subsection (a), of the State of California Guidelines for Implementation of the CEQA. The purpose of the draft ND and the Initial Study Checklist was to determine 1) whether the proposed program would result in any environmental impacts and, 2) if so, whether any of these impacts might be significant, either before or after mitigation. Butte RCD finds the proposed program, as designed, would have no impacts requiring mitigation. PUBLIC REVIEW PERIOD: A 30-day minimum public review period for the Negative Declaration commenced on May 7, 2026. Comments will be accepted until 5:00 pm Sunday, June 14th for interested individuals and public agencies to submit written comments on the document. Any written comments on the Negative Declaration must be received at the above address within the public review period, or be emailed to the following address: wolfy@bcrcd.org. Copies of the Negative Declaration are available for review 1) at the above address during business hours, 2) at 641 Entler Ave. Ste 47 in Chico during business hours, and 3) 24 hours a day at https://www.bcrcd.org/announcements.
