Cambria Forest Committee
Regular Meeting Minutes
April 14, 2010
Rabobank Meeting Room
1070 Main St. Cambria, Calif.
Directors Present: Brad Seek, Rob Trask, Crosby and Laura Swartz, Bill Schassberger, Tim O’Keefe, Art Trinidade, Rick Hawley, JoEllen Butler,
Guests Present: Kathe Tanner, Ralph Covell, Ben Boer, Catherine Ryan Hyde, Muril Clift, Erwin Ohannesian, Gee Gee Ashleck, Tommy Moreno.
1.0 Meeting called to order 6:05pm
2.0 April 14th 2010 minutes approved Trask/Swartz
3.0 Treasurers Rpt. $2577 in the Bank Account.
4.0 Sub Committee Rpts. Information/Action
4.1 Education/Planting/Mitigation
a. Dir. Hawley will be conducting an onsite training class(April 27th) to the lot clearing contractors with an emphasis on conserving native plants. Attendees will receive a certificate at the end of the 2hr. session.
b. Collaboration proposal with potential PG&E mitigation money. Dir. Hawley stated that Greenspace has been approached with a donation of approximately 5 acres of forested property. He asked the Board to consider funding the cost of a needed lot line adjustment and appraisal on this property. The land would be open to public benefit. Dir. Trinidade stated that Minor Use fees can be waved on a project like this. CFC Board members approved to be the recipient of PG&E Mitigation money possibly to pay for the survey. When the cost of doing the survey is known CFC will vote on weather to fund it. Schassberger/Trinidade.
c. Update on lots suitable for planting trees. Dir. Schassberger stated that a list of eligible CCSD lots would be needed(mitigation) in the event that there were a large number of seedlings to be planted. Private owners could simply be contacted through the newspaper. Dir. Trinidade stated that the county prefers to have offsite mitigation planting on lots that have no development rights. Mr. Boer suggested the possibility of using the Fiscalini Ranch as an offsite mitigation property with public/Coastal Conservancy approval and a change in the CC&r’s. Dir. Hawley suggested that the subcommittee search out the appropriate properties for mitigation planting and report back to the CFC Board.
d. 4H commitment to planting trees. Dir. Covell contacted the Outdoor Adventure group of 4H who expressed an interest in planting trees. Approximately 40 individuals would be involved.
4.2 Forest Management
a. Funding a special district. Dir. Hawley contacted Julie Rodewald(Co. Recorder) re: an Assessment District. She provided some names from the State who might assist the Board on prop 218 requirements. Dir. Trinidade reminded that Supr. Gibson will be attending the May meeting to discuss the matter. He also believed that a representative from Co. Public Works could offer some expertise on the subject.
b. CCSD meeting issue. Dir. Hawley was unable to address the Board in the last meeting due to some confusion in the way that the Cambria Fire Dept. arrived at the decision of removing Pine logs on Cambria properties.
4.3 Annual Lot Clearing Dir. Miller is not present to discuss the revised annual letter to property owners. Dir. Hawley will ask the Fire Chief to email a copy of the letter to CFC Board members. Dir. Schassberger stated that the contents of the letter were rearranged to emphasize the conservation of seedlings and to leave logs 12” or greater in place. The Fire Chief later decided(after subcommittee meeting) that the larger logs will have to be removed. CCSD Dir. Clift understands that the decision to remove the larger logs is because there is so much fuel on the ground this year. Kathe Tanner(Cambrian) will contact Chief Miller for further clarification.
5.0 New Business
Eucalyptus removal on public property. Mr. Boer(FFRP Ranch Mgr.) stated that the project proposal has been scaled down to cover only the ranch on the west side of hwy 1. Approximately 72 trees will be removed in a specific area(50’x400’) along with other invasive plants and will be replaced with native vegetation. This is the current proposal and is pending approval from the funding agency(NOAA). Dir. Hawley suggested leaving the large trees as dead snags for nesting. Consensus from CFC group on the proposal is favorable.
6.0 Public Comment. None.
7.0 Other
Mr. Covell stated that a Nature Conservancy representative is conducting a Fuel Model on the pine forest portion of his ranch(Covell Ranch). He will inform CFC on the results of this study.
Tom Morena is doing a school project and is asking members for any statistical information pertaining to the Monterey Pine Forest in Cambria.
Dir. Seek will receive $125.00 reimbursement for the purchase of 1000 peat pots. The pots will hold seedlings that will be planted on Fiscalini Ranch or other public places. Covell/Schassberger
Dir. Schassberger passed out copies of the CFC by-laws.
8.0 Adjournment 7:25pm Butler/Trask
Next Meeting will be May 12, 2010 at the Rabobank.
Respectfully submitted by Brad Seek
