CAMBRIA FOREST COMMITTEE
TO CONSERVE AND MANAGE THE NATIVE FOREST OF CAMBRIA
May 8, 2019, 6:30 PM
Cambria Rabobank, 1070 Main Street
A Quorum was established by the attendance of Crosby and Laura Swartz, JoEllen Butler, Andrea Wogsland, executive director of Greenspace, and Christine Heinrichs. Harry Farmer, CCSD liaison, Peter Frey, and Tony Church also attended.
Public and Director Comments:
Christine will follow up to check on the status of the Cape Ivy Galling Fly project.
Peter Frey suggested using goats to clear vegetation. JoEllenButler used goats on a section of Fiscalini Ranch, cost $20,000. Terrain, type of vegetation, and fencing are concerns, but she is willing to use them again. They do not eat all the invasives, especially French broom, but do eat all the native plants.
Minutes of April Meeting were approved with one correction.
Treasurer’s Report: Laura Swartz reported the balance at $ 1,221.04. She paid for purchase of two banners that were used at the Earth Day celebration. FFRP will reimburse $43.43 for one.
Possible Cambria Community Council grant idea: add landscaping with native grasses around the Forest Committee sign. Directors will come up with other ideas for CCC grant funding projects at the June meeting.
Sub-Committee Reports
Education/Planting/Mitigation/Operations
Report on Earth Day Fair: The Fair had a beautiful day, but fewer attended than last year, perhaps because it was Easter Sunday. Laura and Crosby made contact with Robin Chase at State Parks and Bill Thornton, Outdoor Education Director at Camp Ocean Pines.
Rick Hawley enlisted families to grow Monterey Pine seedlings. He now has 4,000 potential starts set up. The goal is 10,000 for fall planting. Excellent music, arranged by Dulcie Taylor and using her sound system. Soto’s will continue to participate. Greenspace welcomes feedback.
Website Domain Name Billing: Paul has gotten it transferred from Amanda’s account so that it is under Forest Committee control.
Forest Management
Fire Hazard Fuel Reduction Guidelines: Crosby and Laura continue to work with Fire Chief Hollingsworth to modify Weed Abatement to be sensitive to different needs in different areas. Special Project Area 1 has conservation easements that need to be observed. Special Project Area 2 has viewshed issues. A single policy is not appropriate for all undeveloped lots.
Cutting twice a year, before seedheads develop, would reduce spread of invasive weeds and is recommended, but not mandatory, because of additional cost.
“I’m trying to impress on the fire department the importance of timing,” Laura Swartz said.
Cal Fire and CCSD continue to negotiate on transferring responsibility for developed lots from Cal Fire to CCSD. Funding would have to be found to offset the CSD’s additional costs of enforcement.
“The goal ultimately is that people need to maintain their property all year,” Harry Farmer said.
Invasive Borer Workshop May 9th: Christine Heinrichs will attend and report to the Forest Committee at the June meeting.
SOD Blitz: Crosby and Laura, Christine, and Duffy Burns participated from Cambria. Results in the fall.
County Permits: Crosby has not been able to get the county to send permit applications to the Forest Committee, but Tony Church of NCAC’s Land Use Committee said that no applications have been submitted for the past two months. Discussion of the problem of no enforcement or follow-up on planting and maintaining mitigation trees. Greenspace’s new executive director Andrea Wogsland suggested the nonprofits can support each other in following up tree mitigation. Those required to plant trees to mitigate for trees removed usually contact Greenspace to buy replacement trees.
The Coastal Commission did not take tree loss into account in issuing a permit for the O’Sullivan Guest House. Christine will send the Staff Report to those attending. It is posted on the Coastal Commission website at https://documents.coastal.ca.gov/reports/2019/5/W22a/W22a-5-2019-report.pdf
Report from Fire Safe Focus Group:
PG&E will turn off power during high winds. Because of the technical complications of turning it back on, power could be off for several days. Fire Safe Focus Group is looking into planning for a power outage.
Broom Pile Burns along Hwy 1 have been completed. Laura is concerned about the living trees that were singed by the fires. Damaged trees may die, then have to be removed.
Unfinished Business
Greenspace / Forest Committee Letter: Crosby continues to review the Forest Practices Act for how it applies to dead tree removal. The Forest Practice Act and Rules can be accessed at www.calfire.ca.gov/resource_mgt_forestpractice. Select 2019 Forest Practice Rules and Act under Forest Practice More Info. Interesting sections include Fuelbreak / Defensible Space on page 55, Harvesting Practices and Erosion Control on page 64, Wildlife Protection Practices on page 112, and Coastal Commission Special Treatment Areas on page 119.
Dark Skies Initiative Support Letter: Christine will rewrite and send to Crosby for approval.
Public and Director Comments:
Directors are asked to come up with ideas for projects that could be funded with CCC grants.
Will the proposed wind farm off Cambria affect fog? Monterey Pine trees are dependent on fog drip. Research this question for future discussion.
Meeting was adjourned at 8:30 pm
Next Meeting June 12, 2019
