HomeMy WebLinkAbout04.11.25 Board Correspondence - FW_ Urgent Objection to Enforcement at 1740 Vilas Road – CEQA Violations, Endangered Species, and Active Remediation Pla.ATTENTION: This message originated from outside Butte County. Please exercise judgment before opening
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From:Clerk of the Board
To:Clerk of the Board; Connelly, Bill; Cook, Holly; Cook, Robin; Durfee, Peter; Jessee, Meegan; Kimmelshue, Tod;
Kitts, Melissa; Lee, Lewis; Little, Melissa; Pickett, Andy; Ritter, Tami; Stephens, Brad J.; Sweeney, Kathleen;
Teeter, Doug; Zepeda, Elizabeth; Pack, Joshua
Cc:Nuzum, Danielle
Subject:Board Correspondence - FW: Urgent Objection to Enforcement at 1740 Vilas Road – CEQA Violations,
Endangered Species, and Active Remediation Pla
Date:Monday, April 14, 2025 4:43:24 PM
Attachments:Urgent Legal and Environmental Objection to Warranted Entry- Active Cleanup Underway - CEQA-Compliant
Alternative Initiated, and Environmental Misconduct Documented.pdf
Exhibit ABC.pdf.pdf
Please see Board Correspondence -
From: Biochar Coalition <biocharcoalition@gmail.com>
Sent: Monday, April 14, 2025 1:27 AM
To: envhealth@buttecounty.net; Beaudoin, Jarett <JBeaudoin@buttecounty.net>; Clerk of the Board
<clerkoftheboard@buttecounty.net>; askregion1@wildlife.ca.go; ceqa.comments@calepa.ca.gov;
info@calepa.ca.gov; environment@doj.ca.gov
Subject: Urgent Objection to Enforcement at 1740 Vilas Road – CEQA Violations, Endangered
Species, and Active Remediation Pla
Dear Officials,
I am writing on behalf of the Biochar Coalition – Post-Fire Remediation and Restoration
Division to formally object to the imminent enforcement action and warrant-based entry
scheduled for 1740 Vilas Road, Cohasset, CA.
This property was impacted by the Park Fire, and the landowner has been actively working to
remove structural debris voluntarily. Our nonprofit has been engaged to implement a CEQA-
compliant environmental remediation plan, including erosion control and soil stabilization
through biochar-based ecological treatment.
We respectfully request your urgent attention to the attached letter, which outlines:
• Ongoing voluntary cleanup efforts by the landowner (structure removal in progress)
• A defined start date for nonprofit-led environmental mitigation (10 days)
• Evidence of protected species (Pacific Fisher) documented on or near the property
• Photographic proof of County herbicide spraying near sensitive zones post-fire
• Legal and environmental basis under CEQA and CESA to issue a stay of enforcement
Please see the attached documents for full context and evidence.
We ask that all enforcement activity be stayed immediately while these matters are reviewed.
We are open to direct discussion and collaboration to resolve this lawfully and responsibly.
Sincerely,
Kenneth Scherer
Post-Fire Remediation and Restoration Division
Biochar Coalition
biocharcoalition@gmail.com
www.biocharcoalition.org
Exhibit A
herbicde sprayed in a burn scar on Cohasset Road heading west bound
Exhibit B Exhibit C
photographs of a Pacific Fisher (Pekania pennanti), a protected species
under the California Endangered Species Act (CESA)
2 9 1 6 5 N e w S c h o o l R o a d
N e v a d a C i t y C A 9 5 9 5 9
B i o c h a r C o a l i t i o n @ g m a i l .c o m
5 3 0 -2 6 4 -0 2 4 9
T o : B u t t e C o u n t y P u b l i c H e a l t h D e p a r t m e n tButte C o u n t y C o u n s e lBoard o f S u p e r v i s o r s , B u t t e C o u n t y
S u b j e c t : U r g e n t L e g a l a n d E n v i r o n m e n t a l O b j e c t i o n t o W a r r a n t e d E n t r y : A c t i v e C l e a n u p
U n d e r w a y , C E Q A -C o m p l i a n t A l t e r n a t i v e I n i t i a t e d , a n d E n v i r o n m e n t a l M i s c o n d u c t
D o c u m e n t e d
D e a r O f f i c i a l s ,
T h i s c o r r e s p o n d e n c e i s s u b m i t t e d b y t h e B i o c h a r C o a l i t i o n – P o s t -F i r e R e m e d i a t i o n a n d
R e s t o r a t i o n D i v i s i o n – a s a n u r g e n t f o r m a l o b j e c t i o n t o t h e i m m i n e n t e n f o r c e m e n t a n d
w a r r a n t e d e n t r y p l a n n e d a t 1 7 4 0 V i l a s R o a d , C o h a s s e t , C A .
W e a s s e r t t h e f o l l o w i n g l e g a l a n d e n v i r o n m e n t a l g r o u n d s t o i m m e d i a t e l y s t a y
e n f o r c e m e n t :
1 . T h e p r o p e r t y o w n e r h a s a l r e a d y i n i t i a t e d v o l u n t a r y s t r u c t u r e r e m o v a l , w h i c h i s
c u r r e n t l y u n d e r w a y a n d s c h e d u l e d f o r c o m p l e t i o n t h i s w e e k ( 4 /1 4 - 4 /2 0 /2 0 2 5 )
2 . T h e B i o c h a r C o a l i t i o n i s c o o r d i n a t i n g a C E Q A -c o m p l i a n t , n o n p r o f i t -l e d e n v i r o n m e n t a l
r e m e d i a t i o n p r o j e c t t o b e g i n i n 1 0 d a y s (4 /2 4 /2 0 2 5 ) . T h i s p r o j e c t a d d r e s s e s e r o s i o n
c o n t r o l , c a r b o n s t a b i l i z a t i o n , a n d e c o s y s t e m r e c o v e r y .
3 . P r o c e e d i n g w i t h e n f o r c e m e n t w i t h o u t r e v i e w i n g o u r a c t i v e e n v i r o n m e n t a l p l a n
c o n s t i t u t e s a v i o l a t i o n o f C E Q A (P R C §2 1 0 8 0 , §2 1 1 6 8 .5 ) a n d d u e p r o c e s s p r o t e c t i o n s
u n d e r C a l i f o r n i a l a w .
4 . P h o t o s t a k e n f r o m t h e p u b l i c r i g h t -o f -w a y d o c u m e n t h e r b i c i d e s p r a y i n g (p r e s u m a b l y
g l y p h o s a t e ) b y t h e C o u n t y a d j a c e n t t o b u r n s c a r s , u n d e r m i n i n g t h e c l a i m t h a t
e n v i r o n m e n t a l p r o t e c t i o n i s t h e m o t i v e f o r e n f o r c e m e n t (E x h i b i t A ).
5 . A t t a c h e d a r e p h o t o g r a p h s o f a P a c i f i c F i s h e r (P e k a n i a p e n n a n t i ), a p r o t e c t e d s p e c i e s
u n d e r t h e C a l i f o r n i a E n d a n g e r e d S p e c i e s A c t (C E S A ), o b s e r v e d o n o r a d j a c e n t t o t h e
p r o p e r t y . E n f o r c e m e n t a c t i o n o n l a n d h o s t i n g p r o t e c t e d s p e c i e s w i t h o u t b i o l o g i c a l r e v i e w
c o n s t i t u t e s a d i r e c t v i o l a t i o n o f C E S A §2 0 8 0 a n d C E Q A w i l d l i f e p r o t e c t i o n m a n d a t e s
(E x h i b i t s B & C ).
W e f o r m a l l y d e m a n d :
- A n i m m e d i a t e s t a y o f a n y e n t r y o r e n f o r c e m e n t a c t i o n
- F u l l r e v i e w o f t h e a t t a c h e d e x h i b i t s a n d e n v i r o n m e n t a l c o n t e x t
- R e c o g n i t i o n o f t h e o w n e r ’s v o l u n t a r y c o m p l i a n c e e f f o r t s a l r e a d y u n d e r w a y
- L e g a l a n d p r o c e d u r a l c o n s i d e r a t i o n o f t h e B i o c h a r C o a l i t i o n ’s e n v i r o n m e n t a l m i t i g a t i o n
t i m e l i n e
T h i s i s a l a w f u l , e c o l o g i c a l , a n d c o m m u n i t y -l e d s o l u t i o n . P r o c e e d i n g w i t h o u t
a c k n o w l e d g m e n t o f t h e s e f a c t s o p e n s t h e C o u n t y t o p o t e n t i a l l e g a l , e n v i r o n m e n t a l , a n d
r e p u t a t i o n a l l i a b i l i t y .S i n c e r e l y ,
K e n n e t h S c h e r e r - E x e c u t i v e D i r e c t o r
P o s t -F i r e R e m e d i a t i o n a n d R e s t o r a t i o n D i v i s i o n
B i o c h a r C o a l i t i o n
A t t a c h m e n t s :
- E x h i b i t A : C o u n t y H e r b i c i d e A p p l i c a t i o n P h o t o
- E x h i b i t B : P a c i f i c F i s h e r S i g h t i n g – G a t e R o a d (I m a g e 1 )
- E x h i b i t C : P a c i f i c F i s h e r S i g h t i n g – T r a i l E n t r y (I m a g e 2 )