Cambria Forest Committee
Regular Meeting Minutes
March 10, 2010
Rabobank Meeting Room
1070 Main St. Cambria, Calif.
Directors Present: Brad Seek, Rick Hawley, Amanda Rice, Steve Bitto, Galen Rathbun, Rob Trask, Laura Swartz, Crosby Swartz, Bill Schassberger.
Guests Present: Alan Peters, Muril Clift. Ralph Covell.
1.0 Meeting called to order 6:05
2.0 February 10, 2010 minutes approved with the following corrections: Crosby and Laura are working with SLO Public Works (Not PG&E) to underground utilities. Greenspace planted 300 pines on the Warren Ranch. Hawley/Rice
3.0 Treasurer Rpt. Bank acct. same as last month: $2577. Rice/Rathbun
4.0 Sub Committee Rpts.- Information/action
4.1 Review/Revise Sub-Committee members
4.2 Forest Management Plan(Hawley, Okeefe, Covell, Rice)
Dir. Hawley made a presentation to CCSD Board Meeting on the benefits of an FMP. It was posted on the Greenspace website and there will be an article in the Cambrian.
Dir. Hawley will contact Julie Rodewald (Co. Recorder) to ask about attending a CFC meeting to discuss forming an FMP Assessment District.
4.3 Annual Vacant Lot Abatement – (Miller/Bitto, Butler, Seek, Trask, Covell) Capt. Bitto and Chief Miller met with CFC members to correct any differences in what was being sent to property owners and what was being sent to contractors. Also the wording in the letter(s) were changed to everyone’s satisfaction. Capt. Bitto also expressed the need to expand on the information at the CCSD website that would augment the abatement letter being sent to property owners.
Cambria Fire was advised by legal council that they had Citation authority. Dir. Rathbun stated that a number of Due Process steps needed to be taken before issuing a citation.
Capt. Bitto stated that the Fire Chief changed his mind about allowing some logs greater than 12” to remain on vacant lots(as was agreed earlier in a CFC subcommittee meeting) to having all downed logs greater than 12” be removed. Two reasons were deduced for the change: One being that the administration of this requirement needed to be consistent with what was being expected of homeowners, and the other was because of the large number of downed logs that needed to be addressed. Dirs. Hawley and Rathbun agreed with the excessive log concept but didn’t believe that it should be universally applied to every log on every lot. Dir. Trask asked if the unimproved lot owners and the homeowners requirements would be different anyway since they are under different jurisdictions. Dir. Schassberger recommended putting this issue on agenda for further discussion in April when Chief Miller returns. Dir. Rice suggested that the subcommittee meet with the Fire Chief before the next meeting.
Alan Peters (Cal Fire) stated that he is still new on the job and will be able to address his department’s view toward fuel reduction in the areas under his jurisdiction within the next couple of months. He generally favors education over enforcement and reasonable compromise.
Dir. Hawley stated that the countywide Fire Safe Council emphasized the need for more education in the last meeting.
4.4 Tree Planting and Education(Butler, Trask, Hawley, Schassberger, Crosby and Laura Swartz)
A. CFC oversight of mitigation planting. Dir. Rice stated that the Environmental Coordinator Ellen Carrol would put forward any plan that CFC would propose. Dir. Rice will ask Carrol about the scope of the project(# of trees per year, money paid for the work, administrative fees, inspections, …..) and report back to CFC for discussion.
Dir. Hawley wrote a letter to PG&E’s Lynn Cullen re: tree removal and trim list. but has not received a response.
Dir. Rathbun and Hawley discussed the current tree removal activities that are unpermitted and unmitigated.
Dir. Rice stated that the International Society of Arboriculture will accept and review complaints against certified Arborists.
Mr. Covell stated that the 4H group may be looking for a project. Nancy Taylor is the group leader. CFC invited 4H(Outdoor/Adventure sub group, Debbie Botros) to get involved in any or all activities(seed gathering, planting and caring).
Dir. Hawley will be teaching a certification class to lot abatement contractors Sometime in April on a Saturday. He also stated that Greenspace planted 700 Monterey pine seeds in pots for possible mitigation use.
Dir. Rathbun Expressed the need to establish a public registry of lots that could receive trees required through mitigation. Mr. Clift stated that CCSD could assist in supplying a list of District lots(and possibly retired/merged lots) that would be good candidates for the project. Alan Peters Suggested using an available map that identifies unimproved parcels which could then be overlayed with an aerial photo to identify the candidate parcels. Dir. Hawley will supply a list of Greenspace lots.
B.Progress rpt. On planted seedlings. Dir. Seek reported that about 70% of the pine seedlings survived on Fiscalini Ranch. The understory shrubs planted off the Tipton trail were also doing well. Dir. Schassberger reported that about 60% of the trees at the grammar school also survived. Laura Swartz reported that most of the planted seedlings in Fern Cyn. are doing well but should be weeded. Further plantings may be possible in April at the grammar school.
5.0 Previous Business
B. Dir. Rice will contact David Church for input on assessment district.
6.0 Public Comment. Dir Rice asked for input on the removal of Eucalyptus trees along Santa Rosa Creek. Dir. Hawley and Rathbun favored removal. Dir. Hawley also suggested that the stumps be treated with Garland to prevent sprouting and that the treating be performed by a licensed applicator.
7.0 CFC Elections Brad Seek- Secretary Hawley/Schassberger- Unanimous. Rob Trask-Treasurer Hawley/ Rathbun- unanimous. Rick Hawley-Vice Chairman-Rathbun/Schassberger-unanimous. Dir. Schassberger is the resigning the Chair. Position. No current nominees for the Chairman position.
Mr. Clift invited Dir. Hawley to speak at the next CCSD Board Meeting with regards to the Forest Management Plan.
8.0 Adjournment Rice/Swartz 7:59pm.
Next Meeting on April14, 2010 6pm at the Rabobank
Respectfully submitted by Brad Seek.
