Minutes September 2017
September 13, 2017, 6:30 PM
Cambria Rabobank, 1070 Main Street
A Quorum was established by the attendance of Laura and Crosby Swartz, JoEllen Butler, Julie Jorgenson, and Christine Heinrichs. Connie Gannon arrived 7:30 Matt Terzes of Cal Poly, Tony Church of NCAC, Harry Farmer, liaison to the CSD, and concerned Cambian Jeff Walters also attended.
Public Comment and Questions: Jeff Walters expressed concern over the trees being removed, opening a discussion as to what can be done. County does not actively enforce tree removal requirements. A Forest Manager would oversee the entire forest. The LHMP includes implementing the Forest Management Plan as a Mitigation Action. It could also help homeowners who have had trouble getting fire insurance. “ It’s a positive thing we can do to convince fire underwriters that Cambria is not a lost cause,” Crosby Swartz said. “Being in a formal document elevates this into the discussion.”
Getting an assessment of the forest’s condition could also spark discussion of how best to care for the forest.
Minutes of August Meeting have not been submitted. Christine and Crosby will work on writing them.
Treasurer’s Report: Laura Swartz reports the bank balance is $1,126.97. All the CCC grant money has been spent on weed guide.
Sub-Committee Reports
Education/Planting/Mitigation/Operations
Invasive Weed Guide Distribution Plan: The Invasive Weed Guide will be distributed to hub sites in the community, such as the library, the fire station, the Chamber of Commerce and the schools. Books will be given as a premium to all donors. A flyer will be prepared to accompany the book to direct readers to donate and drive them to the iNaturalist app.
County Permit Referral Package Review: the county is not sending them to the committee but Laurel Stewart of NCAC is forwarding them. Tony Church said that trees are being removed from a lot on Dorking for construction of a workshop. On Latham, the owner is taking pains to preserve trees as he constructs a garage.
Crosby has not yet reviewed the TDC report. The meeting with Jay Johnson at the County discussed placing some limitations on the size of house that can be built on receiver sites. Johnson was under direction from the county to increase the number of sender sites.
Connie Gannon, executive director of Greenspace, wrote to the County requesting that revisions to the TDC regulations be done as part of a comprehensive plan review rather than piecemeal. She will also ask the Coastal Commission, meeting in Cambria this week, to reconsider changes to the Resource Management System and make them part of a comprehensive review.
Cambria Community Council Grant Application: Laura will apply for a grant to produce a Spanish language version of the Invasive Weed Guide for the app and to pay for distribution.
Forest Management
Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Action Items: The LHMP provides for annual updates, which will be opportunities to discuss implementing the Forest Management Plan.
New Business
Christine Heinrichs suggested creating a list of possible candidates for the position of Forest Ecologist.
Coastal Commission Meeting Topics
Resource Management System Revisions: The revisions have been difficult to follow and appear to change the RMS from regulatory to advisory. Cynthia Hawley will present to the Coastal Commission on behalf of Landwatch.
Appeal of Orellana Building Permit: The Coastal Commission staff report found Substantial Issue with the permit application. The applicants did not contest the Substantial Issue finding, which will be accepted by the commission. The applicant has exercised his one-time postponement of the de novo hearing. Date to be set later.
Unfinished Business
Speaker Invitations: Matt Terzes, graduate student who has taken over supervision of Sarah Bisbing’s Monterey Pine project attended the meeting. He is compiling three years of data on Monterey Pines. His work is evaluating how pitch pine canker moves through the forest, and how the forest responds. His report will examine the status and health of the forest, how new trees are filling in for senescent trees. “Monterey Pines are fairly resilient,” he said. “People have different reasons to be interested: It’s a rare endangered species. There’s an ecological perspective. It’s a commercial resource. I’m passionate about forest ecology. Understanding helps us protect it.”
He will give a poster presentation to the Forest Pest Council in November. He can give a presentation at the November 8 Forest Committee meeting that will be publicized to Cambrians, or at a later meeting.To be arranged.
“There are different reasons for people to be interested: It’s a rare endangered species. There’s an ecological perspective, and it’s a commercial resource. I’m passionate about forest ecology. Understanding helps us protect it.”
Connie brought up Governor Brown’s Emergency Timber Harvest Proclamation. Although it is targeted to the Sierras, it could increase tree removal in Cambria. She will circulate it and discuss with State Sen. Bill Monning’s aide.
Meeting adjourned at 8:20 pm.
Next Meeting October 11, 2017
