The 90-day review period for the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for Golden State Natural Resources’ (GSNR) proposed forest resiliency demonstration project closed on January 20, 2025. Based on the input received, and current biomass market conditions, GSNR staff are now developing and analyzing a reduced-scale project alternative and anticipate releasing a revised DEIR (RDEIR), with an updated evaluation of potential environmental impacts, in early 2026.
BACKGROUND
GSNR’s proposed project is currently in the environmental review process under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) to ensure any and all potential impacts are identified, comprehensively evaluated, and mitigated to the fullest extent feasible. A significant step in this process is the public review and comment upon the DEIR.
The DEIR was released on October 22, 2024 for an original 60-day review period. Following public input Golden State Finance Authority (GSFA), the lead agency for the project, approved an additional extension of the review period to January 20, 2025, beyond the usual CEQA maximum, to allow more time for public review and comment.
Please view the original
Notice of Availability (NOA) for full details regarding the DEIR release and the public review and comment period. Please note the 60-day public review period displayed in the NOA was extended to a 90-day review period ending January 20, 2025.
PROJECT REVISIONS
Since the close of the DEIR public review and comment period, GSNR staff have been diligently analyzing the more than 5,500 comments received.
Based on this input, and current biomass market conditions, on June 25, 2025, the GSNR Board directed staff to develop and analyze a reduced-scale project alternative that focuses on domestic rather than international usage of the sourced wood material and produces wood chips instead of wood pellets. Rather than targeting overseas energy producers, the project would explore emerging domestic demand for wood chips in California and adjacent areas that are forecasted to arise for sustainable fuel and energy production and innovative wood products.
See press release.
The full analysis of alternatives considered by the GSNR Board is available in the
June Board agenda packet.
NEXT STEPS
GSNR is currently revising the previously released DEIR to reflect these project changes and anticipates recirculating the revised report, with an updated evaluation of potential environmental impacts in early 2026. The public will have an opportunity to submit formal comments on the revised DEIR during recirculation. After the recirculation, the final EIR will be presented to the GSFA Board for their review and potential certification at a public hearing that the public will be invited to attend.
Information and updates regarding the revised DEIR (RDEIR), will be posted on this page and shared out, via email, to our GSNR mailing list. Fill out the form at the bottom of this webpage to join the GSNR mailing list.
DEIR DOCUMENTS
PUBLIC MEETINGS
Golden State Finance Authority held three public meetings on the DEIR. While not required by CEQA, these meetings offered an important opportunity to introduce the public to the report and receive initial public comment. The meetings occurred early in the 90-day review period to provide the public with key information on how to review the document and the various avenues for submitting public comment. The dates and locations of these meetings occurred as follows:
- Lassen County Area Meeting: October 28, 2024 at 6:00 pm
Bieber Veterans Memorial Building
657-575 Bridge St., Bieber, CA 96009
Flyer
- Stockton Area Meeting: October 30, 2024 at 6:30 pm
KIPP Stockton Elementary School
742 Dallas Ave, Stockton, CA 95206
A virtual participation option was available for this meeting. Spanish and Tagalog translation was also available for those attending on-site.
Flyer
- Tuolumne County Area Meeting: November 4, 2024 at 6:00 pm
Chicken Ranch Casino, Event Hall
16929 Chicken Ranch Rd., Jamestown, CA 95327
Flyer
OTHER DOCUMENTS AND RESOURCES
CEQA EIR PROCESS TIMELINE
- Release of Initial Notice of Preparation – November 18, 2022
- Release of Revised Notice of Preparation – June 1, 2023
- Publication of DEIR – October 22, 2024
- Public Review of DEIR – Began October 22, 2024 and ended January 20, 2025
- Public Meetings on DEIR – October 28th, October 30th, and November 4th
- Recirculation of Revised DEIR (RDEIR) – Projected for early 2026
- Final EIR Publication – Projected for 2026
- Review & Decision by Golden State Finance Authority Board of Directors – Projected for 2026
PROPOSED FOREST RESILIENCY PROJECT
GSNR is a California nonprofit public benefit corporation, established by rural counties in California through Golden State Finance Authority, to address the urgent issue of catastrophic fires from overgrown and under-managed forests.
GSNR’s revised forest resiliency project proposal will source woody overgrown vegetation from sustainable forest management projects within public forests and private timberlands and then process that material into wood chips at two processing facilities, one in Tuolumne County and the other in Lassen County. The finished chips will then be transported domestically by rail to downstream users and emerging market hubs in California and adjacent areas for use in sustainable fuel and energy production and innovative wood products.
For additional information on GSNR’s proposed project, visit our
Projects Page.
