Public and commissioners press staff over CEQA exemption for Carmel-by-the-Sea forest plan

Chair Mickey called the Forest and Beach Commission to order on July 9 in Carmel-by-the-Sea. Public works staff and the CFMP consultant Dudek are drafting what staff described as a categorical CEQA exemption for the Community Forest Management Plan (CFMP), but several commissioners and multiple public commenters urged more formal review.

The contested point is whether the CFMP qualifies for a categorical exemption. Justin said the consultant is drafting a categorical‑exemption memorandum and that staff expects to circulate the draft and redlines to commissioners once the consultant completes its work. “They’re drafting that for me, and we’ll send it out to you to look at,” Justin said.

Why it matters: The CFMP, as discussed at the meeting, includes implementation strategies, annual work programs, vegetation management, staffing budgets and proposed updates to the city’s tree ordinance. Christie Reimers, who spoke during public comment, told the commission: “CEQA isn’t meant to stop good projects. It’s there to make sure the environmental impacts of a plan are considered before it is adopted, not afterward. This plan is much more than a vision document.” She urged at a minimum that an initial study be prepared to identify environmental concerns and improve transparency.

Victoria, another commenter who handed the commission a one‑page guide to CEQA, said staff should perform an initial study because the exemption exercise being pursued “probably does not apply to our situation” until the other CEQA pathways have been checked. Linda (a caller identified by the chair) urged the commission to ensure the public sees how comments were incorporated and to recognize Carmel‑by‑the‑Sea’s Monterey pine forest is ecologically sensitive.

Commissioners pressed staff on process and timing. Several commissioners asked for the version of the CFMP that was submitted to CEQA, and Justin said he would circulate the working draft with redline inserts and confirm which edits informed the CEQA filing. Commissioners debated whether a graphic designer should be hired before or after the content is finalized; staff and commissioners agreed the graphic designer should generally be engaged after the substantive content is settled so the layout reflects the final document.

The commission did not take a formal vote on CEQA at the July 9 meeting. Staff said it would check the consultant’s schedule and circulate a timeline and the marked draft to commissioners; the plan will return to the commission for further review once the CEQA materials are available.

Next steps: Staff will circulate the consultant’s CEQA determination and a redline draft of the CFMP. Commissioners requested a clearer timeline for when the CEQA materials and a final draft will be available for committee review before being forwarded to the city council.