Final EIS Released for Critical North Yuba Landscape Resilience Project
On April 7, our forest health and fuels practice received exciting news: the U.S. Forest Service- Tahoe National Forest announced the public release of the final Environmental Impact Statement (Final EIS) and the draft Record of Decision (Draft ROD) for the North Yuba Landscape Resilience Project.
The North Yuba landscape (CA), a critical watershed that supports substantial forest habitat, high biodiversity, and excellent recreation opportunities, is one of the most at-risk areas for catastrophic wildfire in the US. With this Final EIS and Draft ROD published, the Tahoe National Forest, in partnership with the National Forest Foundation, is one step closer to having the ‘green light’ to be begin its first phase of vegetation and fuels management implementation projects for this 275,000-acre landscape. These fuels reduction efforts would significantly lower wildfire risk to protect communities, while also preserving forest health and habitats. A Final ROD is expected this summer.
SE Group supported the development of the Final EIS and Draft ROD in partnership with the Forest Service and Ascent, the third-party NYLRP NEPA lead. This was a big effort from our team, led by Ashley Smith, and Catherine Winnop; the sheer size of the North Yuba landscape made this a highly complex project.
For more details: $117 million awarded to reduce wildfire risk on the North Yuba Landscape
