NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY/ INTENT TO ADOPT DRAFT INITIAL STUDY/ PROPOSED MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION

NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY/ INTENT TO ADOPT DRAFT INITIAL STUDY/ PROPOSED MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION 11960 East Street 530-468-2281 P.O. Box 40 www.fortjonesca.com Fort Jones, CA, 96032 Gateway to the Marble Mountains NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY / INTENT TO ADOPT DRAFT INITIAL STUDY / PROPOSED MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION Date: July 10, 2026 To: Responsible and Trustee Agencies, Organizations, and Individuals Subject: Draft Initial Study/Proposed Mitigated Negative Declaration Town of Fort Jones Wastewater Treatment Facility Upgrades Project Initial Study Draft Initial Study/Proposed Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND) for the proposed Fort Jones Wastewater Treatment Facility Upgrades Project is now available for review. More information is provided below. NOTICE IF HERBY GIVEN that Town of Fort Jones has prepared an Initial Study pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) for the project described herein. Based on preliminary analysis, the Fort Jones Planning Commission (Commission), as the lead agency, intends to adopt a Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) for the project. A MND is a statement that the project will not result in a significant adverse effect on the environment. The Fort Jones Planning Commission will consider adoption of the MND at a special meeting scheduled for Monday, August 24, 2026, with the session commencing at 6:00 p.m., or soon thereafter as possible, at the Town of Fort Jones City Hall, 11960 East Street, Fort Jones, California, 96032. Project Location: The project site is located at the western edge of Fort Jones, east of the confluence of Moffett Creek and the Scott River, Siskiyou County, California. The site is within the Fort Jones California USGS 7.5 minute quadrangle map in Township 43 North, Range 09 West, Sections 2 and 3 of the Mount Diablo Base and Meridian (MDBM). The following Assessor's Parcel Numbers (APN) comprise the project site: 024-040-080, 024-030-490, 055-241-010, and 055-241-020. Access to the site is provided from Serpa Lane, via Scott River Road. Related Zoning and Uses: The proposed project will require reconfiguring three existing parcels to consolidate the land capable of supporting a new wastewater treatment facility into one parcel. The new facility is proposed on APN 055-241-020 and APN 055-241-010 (7.5 acres) within the Fort Jones corporate limits and will require an approximate 10-acre portion of APN 024-030-490 located within unincorporated Siskiyou County. As APN 024-030-490 resides within the County and outside of the Town's established Sphere of Influence (SOI), the proposed project will require the approval of a SOI amendment by the Siskiyou County Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) to authorize the boundary change. The proposed project would require a general plan amendment on the 17.5-acre WWTF relocation parcel from Mobile Home (M-H) to Public Facility (PF). The Public Facility (PF) designation accommodates open space and public lands including schools, parks, and natural areas. Within this designation, other public lands that are typically not available for recreation or public open space (i.e. owned by a public entity or public utility) are considered suitable for public facilities. The Public Facility (PF) land use designation is consistent with all Town zone districts. The proposed project would also require a zone change from Manufactured Homes Park (M-H) (7.5 acres within Fort Jones) and AG-1-B-80/AG-2-B-40 (10 acres of unincorporated Siskiyou County) to the Town's Manufacturing (M) zone district. Description of Project: The Town of Fort Jones owns and operates a wastewater treatment facility (WWTF) located in unincorporated Siskiyou County (APN 024-040-080), as well as associated wastewater collection and conveyance infrastructure within the Town. The existing WWTF is unable to reliably meet the Town's current and future wastewater treatment needs, as treated effluent has periodically failed to comply with waste discharge requirements (WDRs) established by the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board (NCRWQCB) for biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), total suspended solids (TSS), and settleable solids. Page 2 of 2 To address these deficiencies, comply with applicable WDRs, and support the water quality objectives established in the NCRWQCB Water Quality Control Plan for the North Coast Region (Basin Plan), the Town proposes to decommission the existing WWTF and construct a new wastewater treatment facility approximately 1,500 feet east of the existing facility. The proposed WWTF would improve treatment performance, reduce the potential for adverse effects on surface water and groundwater quality, and ensure continued wastewater service for the Town while maintaining compliance with applicable water quality regulations and Basin Plan objectives. The proposed project will entail constructing a new wastewater treatment facility including influent headworks and screening station, multiple ponds (aeration, percolation/evaporation, and storage ponds), effluent pump, appurtenances, and building(s), perimeter fencing, ancillary structures, and other related infrastructure. Environmental Topics Evaluated: The Draft IS/MND examines the potential impacts generated by the proposed project in relation to the potential of the project to have an impact on the environment. Other public agencies whose approval is required (e.g., permits, financing approval, or participation agreement): Fort Jones, as Lead Agency for the proposed project, has discretionary authority over the primary project proposal. To implement this project the following discretionary permits/approvals from other agencies will be required: California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board (NCRWQCB) Siskiyou County Air Pollution Control District (SCAPCD) Siskiyou County Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) Public Review Process: The public comment period begins on Friday, July 10, 2026 and will end on Monday, August 10, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. Written comments can be mailed or emailed to the attention of Joseph Hess, Fire Chief/Town Administrator, 11960 East Street, Fort Jones California, 96032; jhess@fortjonesca.com Address Where Copy of the Draft IS/MND is Available: Printed copies of the Draft IS/MND are now available for review at the Town of Fort Jones, 11960 East Street, Fort Jones, California, during normal business hours (Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.). The Initial Study can also be accessed and downloaded from the Town's website at: https://fortjonesca.org/public-review-documents/ For more specific questions about the proposed project or the Draft IS/MND please contact Everett Hullquist, Public Works Department, at (530) 598-3952. Questions may also be emailed to Everett Hullquist at ehullquist@fortjonesca.com Sincerely, Joseph Hess Fire Chief/Town Administrator Town of Fort Jones July 15 2026 LYRK0554663