Project Name: Happy Valley Fuels Reduction

NEPA Number: DOI-BLM-CA-C080-2026-0028-DNA

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Project Information

NEPA Number

DOI-BLM-CA-C080-2026-0028-DNA
Project Name

Happy Valley Fuels Reduction
Project Type

DNA
NEPA Status

In Progress - Public Review and Comment Period
Lead Office

Mother Lode Field Office
Last Updated

7/26/2026 5:00:00 PM

Project Description

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) funded an assistance agreement with the Calaveras County Resource Conservation District (CCRCD) in 2023 for fuels reduction planning on BLM lands in the Butte Fire footprint. CCRCD also has Sierra Nevada Conservancy grant funds they would use to implement fuels reduction treatments up to approximately 139.5 acres of BLM [BB1.1]land.

The intent of the project is to reduce wildfire risk for communities and natural resources in this area by managing the amount and continuity of hazardous vegetative fuels to better support fire suppression efforts if necessary. The proposed treatment types would include Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) fuels reduction and fuel breaks using mechanical and manual treatments, prescribed burning, targeted grazing, and herbicide application for maintenance and weed control.

Hand crews and mechanical operators (track chippers, masticators) would remove brush and small diameter trees from the project area, with maximum DBH of conifers no greater than 11” dbh. The average spacing would be roughly 30 feet between boles and brush with some tighter spacing in clumps and “islands”. The preference is to remove hardwoods under 4” dbh, though spacing concerns will necessitate removing larger hardwoods.

Project activities could include: 
•	Hand cutting/piling small diameter trees and brush for future pile burning; pruning and limbing of tree species to raise canopy base height to decrease ladder fuels. 
•	Mechanical cutting, skidding and piling of trees, brush, and activity generated or existing downed material.
•	Mechanical mastication of activity generated or existing surface fuels, brush, and small trees.
•	Chipping of vegetation, lopping and scattering, and removal of vegetation offsite. 
•	Use of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) principles for the removal of noxious weeds including manual, mechanical and chemical control. 
•	Pile burning and/or understory burning to reduce residual fuel loading. 
•	Application of herbicides for maintenance of fuels reduction.
•	Targeted grazing, i.e., the use of livestock for intensively managed grazing in a targeted area to reduce or modify vegetation. May include temporary fencing.

Preliminary determination of no historic properties affected.

Project Location

City	State/Territory	Zip Code	County(ies)
Mokelumne Hill	California	95245	Calaveras

Application Information

Applicant

Calaveras County Resource Conservation District
Program

Wildland Fire Management
Sub-Program

Fuels Management

Project Dates

Start Date

7/10/2026

Project Office Information

Lead Office

Mother Lode Field Office
Offices

Mother Lode FO

Contacts

Contact 1 Name

Beth Brenneman
Contact 1 Email

[email protected]
Contact 1 Phone

(916) 941-3138