CAMBRIA FOREST COMMITTEE
TO CONSERVE AND MANAGE THE NATIVE FOREST OF CAMBRIA
MEETING MINUTES September 10, 2014 Download pdf here Minutes September 2014
TIME: 6:30 PM
LOCATION: Rabobank, 1070 Main Street, Cambria, CA 93428
1.0 Call to Order and Establish a Quorum
Members attending: Crosby Swartz; Laura Swartz; Mark Miller; Christine Heinrichs; Bruce Mumper, FFRP. Others attending: Laylon Whitaker; Jeff Hellman; Tony Church
2.0 Approve Minutes of Previous Meeting: Deferred to the next meeting.
3.0 Treasurer’s Report: Total: $1,153.22 includes $24.32 petty cash. $218 remains from the Cambria Community Council grant.
4.0 Sub-Committee Reports
4.1 Education/Planting/Mitigation/Operations:
Guest Speaker and Publicity for October Meeting: Paul Williams of Orkin, Inc, formerly Nordella’s, and is an expert who can talk on tree health and care. He will be invited for the October meeting. Vari MacNeil of Beautify Cambria will be invited to give her PowerPoint presentation at the November meeting.
Mark Miller was contacted by Cal Trans with an offer to participate in cleaning up the back of businesses along Highway 1. Linda Findlay of the Tourism Board offered $1,500 grant, could offer more if needed. Miller will proceed with plans.
The Fire Department will have a Chipping Event September 29-30. Residents need to place material to be chipped at the edge of the road. Application required, available at Fire Department and CCSD. Application deadline September 26.
Location for Pine Forest Interpretive Sign:
The ideal location is by the bridge that connects to East Ranch off Main Street. Amanda Rice, not in attendance, has been guiding the approval needed for this placement. Crosby Swartz has identified a San Luis Obispo business that can make a durable sign for reasonable cost.
Cambria Community Council Grant Application:
Committee members are asked to come up with ideas for projects that could be funded by these small grants before October. The forest interpretive sign was funded last year.
PG&E Reliability Program Information:
Mark Miller has a list of 20 trees PG&E has identified as hazardous to be removed. He visited each one on the list and added one of his own. The list was shared with all present. Miller feels that PG&E has compiled a thoughtful list of only the most problem trees.
4.2 Forest Management
Western Forestry Leadership Coalition Grant Application
Fiscallini Ranch Preserve and Greenspace:
Alan Peters has written and submitted the application. It is one of five submitted, two will receive awards. Even if this application is not successful, additional grants are expected to become available in the future.
5.0 New Business
5.1 Comments on New Permit Applications:
Ken Persinger’s new construction at 628 Huntington appears to have already removed most trees. Tony Church reports problems on other aspects of the application which may result in a large tree being removed. Further information needed. Art Trinidade, enforcement officer for the county, has not been available on his job for some months. No facts available.
5.2 Nominations for Recording Secretary:
Crosby raised the possibility of taking on the role of recording secretary if someone else would like to be co-chair, or hiring someone to transcribe the meeting recordings, or asking a member to provide Action Minutes by filling in comments on the agenda. Christine Heinrichs volunteered to submit Action Minutes.
6.0 Unfinished Business
6.1 Recommend Locations for Required Tree Plantings:
Add Laylon Whitaker’s address, 3261 Pine Street, to the list for plantings.
7.0 Public Comments:
Laylon Whitaker attended the meeting and was heard first. Her home was affected by the FFRP’s removal of eucalyptus trees. She is very unhappy about the removal of the trees, which were originally planted in the 1930s as a wind break. She has pursued every agency without satisfaction. She finds the public sympathetic and the CCSD and FFRP dismissive. She was not notified of the removal, which was apparently done under a permit at least 10 years old. The removal shocked the community and remains contentious.
8.0 Adjournment
Next Meeting October 8, 2014
