CEQA Decision Pathways for Forest Health & Fuels Reduction

CEQA Decision Pathways is a single-page web reference that replaces a dense two-page PDF with something easier to read, share, and navigate. An interactive decision tree walks through five Yes/No questions and recommends the right pathway, while an exemption menu lays out the statutory, categorical, programmatic, and special-purpose options as full cards with eligibility, triggers, common uses, and links to the underlying statute.

The reference is current as of May 2026 and reflects the 2025 legislative session, including SB 131, AB 404, and the March 2025 Emergency Proclamation framework. It also includes practitioner-level working notes on how each pathway maps to the kinds of projects local stakeholders are actually running, plus direct links to the Public Resources Code, CEQA Guidelines, 2025 bill text, the CalVTP PEIR, CDFW SERP, FHSZ maps, and CEQAnet.

Prepared by the Environmental Compliance Subcommittee of the Nevada County Quarterly Wildfire Stakeholders Group (QWSG). This is a working summary, not legal advice — statutes and guidelines change, so verify the current text and consult counsel before relying on any pathway for a specific project.