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I CALL TO ORDER THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE MEETING OF THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT.
IT IS APRIL 29TH, 2026 AND THE TIME NOW IS 2 O'CLOCK.
[Roll Call]
COULD WE TAKE ROLL CALL? YES, I WILL TAKE ROLL.[Approval of Minutes]
FIRST WE HAVE APPROVAL OF MINUTES.FROM OUR LAST NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE MEETING OF FEBRUARY 25TH, ARE THERE COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? MOVE APPROVAL.
OKAY, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE.
OKAY, WE'LL NOW OPEN OUR PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD.
THIS IS A TIME WHEN MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC MIGHT HAVE COMMENTS ON SOMETHING THAT'S NOT ON TODAY'S AGENDA.
MADAM CLERK, DO YOU MAKE THE ANNOUNCEMENT, AND LET US KNOW IF WE HAVE ANY COMMENTS? YES.
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC MAY PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT EITHER IN PERSON OR VIA ZOOM.
THOSE ATTENDING IN PERSON SHALL SUBMIT A SPEAKER CARD TO THE CLERK STAFF OR OTHERWISE INDICATE THEIR DESIRE TO SPEAK ON A NON-AGENDA ITEM.
THOSE ATTENDING VIA ZOOM MAY USE THE RAISE HAND FEATURE.
SPEAKERS WILL BE CALLED WHEN IT IS THEIR TURN TO SPEAK, AND EACH SPEAKER WILL BE PROVIDED UP TO THREE MINUTES TO ADDRESS THE BOARD.
A COUNTDOWN TIMER WILL BE DISPLAYED FOR THE SPEAKER'S CONVENIENCE, AND WE HAVE NO PUBLIC COMMENT AT THIS TIME.
NEXT IS ACTION ITEMS. THERE ARE NONE.
[Informational Items]
AND THEN WE HAVE THREE INFORMATIONAL ITEMS. THE FIRST IS STEWARDING WITH FIRE FOR MULTIPLE BENEFITS.DON, WE'RE JUST GETTING STUFF SET UP.
WE SEE YOU ON THERE, AND ANNA-MARIE'S GOING TO KICK US OFF.
THANKS FOR WAITING FOR THE TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES.
I'M THE PRINCIPAL PLANNER FOR THE CULTURAL RESOURCES UNIT.
I'M JUST GOING TO GIVE A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO DON, AND THEN I'LL LET HIM TAKE IT AWAY.
SO DON HANKINS IS A FORMER U.S.
FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE BIOLOGIST.
HE'S CURRENTLY A PROFESSOR OF GEOGRAPHY AND PLANNING AT CHICO STATE UNIVERSITY AND THE FIELD DIRECTOR FOR THE UNIVERSITY'S ECOLOGICAL RESERVES, A PLAINS MIWA CULTURAL PRACTITIONER, AND A CERTIFIED BURN BOSS.
SO AS A CERTIFIED BURN BOSS, CULTURAL PRACTITIONER, AND AS SOMEBODY WHO IS CULTURALLY AFFILIATED WITH THE PARK DISTRICT'S GEOGRAPHY, DON HANKINS HAS THE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTISE TO TALK WITH US TODAY ABOUT HOW FIRE HAS SHAPED THE ECOSYSTEMS AND CULTURES OF THE EAST BAY FOR MILLENNIA.
BECAUSE OF HIS TRADITIONAL AND CULTURAL AFFILIATION WITH THE PARK DISTRICT, WE HAVE ENGAGED WITH DON PRIOR TO, BUT CERTAINLY DURING, OUR OUTREACH EFFORTS FOR THE DISTRICT PLAN, AND WE PLAN TO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH HIM AS THE PARK DISTRICT, AND SPECIFICALLY THE CULTURAL RESOURCES UNIT, FACILITATES THE DEVELOPMENT OF TRIBAL MOU, OR ACCESS AGREEMENTS, A PROCESS THAT I'M CURRENTLY TALKING TO EACH BOARD MEMBER ABOUT.
WE MANAGE THE PARK DISTRICT LANDS USING A NUMBER OF TOOLS, WHICH MAY INCLUDE GRAZING, FUELS REDUCTION, AND ALSO, OF COURSE, BENEFICIAL FIRE.
SO WITH THAT, I'LL LET DON TAKE OVER.
THANKS FOR THAT INTRODUCTION, ANNA MARIE.
AND IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE ABLE TO SHARE WITH THE BOARD MEMBERS TODAY A BIT ABOUT THE WORK AND THE ROLE OF FIRE IN OUR ECOSYSTEMS IN THE EAST BAY.
ANNA MARIE, WILL THE PRESENTATION? POP UP HERE I DON'T REMEMBER IF YOU'RE RUNNING ON THAT END OR AM I DOING IT HERE THERE WE GO
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IT'S SLOWLY COMING FORWARD HERE.SO, YEAH, THANKS AGAIN FOR THE INTRODUCTION, ANNA MARIE.
AND AS FAR AS, YOU KNOW, THINKING ABOUT THE TOPIC TODAY, ANNA MARIE AND I DISCUSSED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW, IT'S BEEN ONGOING FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW ABOUT THE ROLE OF FIRE AND THE NEED FOR FIRE IN THE ECOSYSTEMS IN THE EAST BAY.
FOR THOSE WHO MAY NOT BE AWARE, THE ENTIRETY OF THE LANDSCAPE OF THE EAST BAY HAS BEEN SHAPED FOR MILLENNIA BY PROCESSES OF FIRE, WHICH ARE LARGELY ROOTED IN INDIGENOUS STEWARDSHIP PRACTICES, SETTING FIRES IN CERTAIN PLACES FOR VARIOUS MATERIALS AND THE ECOLOGICAL BENEFITS AND CULTURAL BENEFITS THAT COME FROM FIRE IN THOSE PLACES.
SO I'LL TALK ABOUT THOSE THINGS TODAY AS WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THE SLIDESHOW.
OURSELVES AND THE UNDERSTANDING OF THIS FROM AN INDIGENOUS PERSPECTIVE, AS ANNEMARIE MENTIONED, AS A MIWOK TRADITIONAL CULTURAL PRACTITIONER, MANY OF OUR SACRED AREAS AND STORIES ACTUALLY BEGIN IN PLACES THAT ARE IN THE EAST BAY.
MANY OF US MAY RECOGNIZE THE FAMILIAR SHAPE OF THIS MOUNTAIN, WHICH IS CENTRAL TO OUR STORY.
AND WITHIN THAT STORY IS ALSO CONFOUNDED IN THIS IDEA OF WHAT I CALL THE FIRST FIRE STORIES AND THOSE FIRST FIRE STORIES.
ARE THE STORIES OF FIRES THAT SPREAD ACROSS THE WORLD AND CREATED A LOT OF ECOLOGICAL HAVOC AND IMPACTED OUR CULTURAL AREAS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND FROM THOSE STORIES, WE THEN LEARN TO WORK WITH FIRE WITHIN THE LANDSCAPE TO BE STEWARDS OF THE LANDSCAPE AND USE FIRE IN A MORE BENEFICIAL WAY.
SO WITHIN OUR TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE SYSTEMS, AND UNDERSTANDING THE ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS TODAY, WHEN I THINK ABOUT THE FIRST FIRE STORIES, I THINK THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY LIVING IN A TIME WHERE WE'RE KIND OF RELIVING THOSE FIRST FIRE STORIES BECAUSE WE'VE REMOVED FIRE FROM THE LANDSCAPE.
IN THIS SLIDE, YOU SEE ON THE TOP PHOTOGRAPH A PANEL THAT IS FROM THE HEADWATERS OF THE BUTTE CREEK WATERSHED, WHICH IS IN THE AREA HERE IN BUTTE COUNTY WHERE I'M LIVING AND WORKING TODAY FROM.
BUT AS WE NOTICED, LIKE THIS LANDSCAPE HAS BEEN HEAVILY IMPACTED BY THE DIXIE FIRE.
AND THIS IS NOT, YOU KNOW, JUST AN OUTLIER CASE.
THIS IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING QUITE EXTENSIVELY ACROSS THE STATE AND IN REGIONS.
AND, YOU KNOW, SO IF WE LOOK AT THE DEPARTURE OF FIRE FROM THE LANDSCAPE, WE SEE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES THAT ARE OCCURRING, INCLUDING THE REPLACEMENT OF FIRE PRONE ECOSYSTEMS WITH LESS FIRE ADAPTED ECOSYSTEMS. AND THEN ALSO THE REPLACEMENT AND LOSS OF...
MANY OF OUR REALLY IMPORTANT ECOCULTURAL AND BIODIVERSE LANDSCAPES SUCH AS OUR OAK WOODLANDS.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN I THINK ABOUT MY TEACHINGS AROUND THIS, ONE OF MY ELDERS HAD CONVEYED WITH ME A LONG WHILE BACK SOME TEACHINGS FROM HER ELDERS GOING BACK TO THE TURN OF THE CENTURY IN THE EARLY 1900S WHEN PEOPLE WERE ACTUALLY FORBIDDEN FROM SETTING FIRES AND THE INSTRUCTIONS WERE THAT IF PEOPLE STOPPED BURNING THAT WILDFIRES WOULD BECOME RAMPANT.
SO AGAIN, LIKE THIS KNOWLEDGE BASE IS DEFINITELY THERE AND IS ROOTED IN, YOU KNOW, THE PRACTICES THAT COME FROM OUR TRADITIONAL LAWS.
SO HOW WE FRAME THE WAY THAT TRADITIONALLY WE LOOK AT FIRE WITHIN THE LANDSCAPE IS OFTEN CONNECTED TO NOT ONLY THE STORIES THAT I'M SHARING WITH YOU IN TERMS OF OUR FIRST FIRE STORIES AND THE ROOTING OF THAT IN PLACE, BUT THEN ALSO THE RESPONSIBILITIES THAT WE CARRY FOR SPECIES WITHIN THE LANDSCAPE.
AND IN OUR CREATION STORY, THAT INCLUDES SPECIES LIKE THE CALIFORNIA CONDOR AND GRIZZLY, WHICH ARE HUGELY IMPORTANT IN THAT SPACE.
BUT PRETTY MUCH EVERY SPECIES THAT WE'RE STEWARDING FOR AND IS PART OF OUR KINSHIP RESPONSIBILITIES TELLS US ABOUT WHEN THERE'S NEED FOR FIRE WITHIN THEIR LANDSCAPE.
AND SO WE USE FIRE AS A WAY TO ENHANCE HABITAT FOR THESE SPECIES TO INCREASE THEIR PRODUCTIVITY.
PUT THE LANDSCAPE IN A SPACE WHERE IT CAN BE MUCH MORE RESISTANT TO THE IMPACTS OF DEVASTATING FIRES.
I'LL NOTE THAT THE RED-LEGGED FROG PHOTO IN THE LOWER LEFT IS ACTUALLY FROM ROUND VALLEY PRESERVE WHEN I WORKED FOR U.S.
SO, WHEN WE ALSO THINK ABOUT THE SCALE OF INDIGENOUS FIRE, WHAT I LIKE TO THINK ABOUT IS THE SOCIO-ECOLOGICAL CONTEXT OF THE BURNING.
OBVIOUSLY, WE'RE SEEING THESE LARGE WILDFIRES THAT ARE HAPPENING ACROSS THE STATE.
HERE I EXEMPLIFY THE DIXIE FIRE AND THE CARR AND CAMP FIRES, WHICH ARE MOST RECENT HERE IN THIS REGION.
YOU KNOW, THESE ARE AFFECTING WHOLE AREAS THAT ARE
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AT THE SCALE OF ECOREGIONS AND, YOU KNOW, LIKE THE REGIONS AFFECTING WHOLE TOWNS.I MEAN, MOST OF US ARE FAMILIAR WITH WHAT'S HAPPENED HERE IN PARADISE AND THINKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE PALISADES FIRE, YOU KNOW, DOWN IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA LAST YEAR AND EATON FIRES.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOSING COMMUNITIES BECAUSE OF OUR INABILITY TO DO STEWARDSHIP.
AND WHEN WE PUT THAT IN THE CONTEXT OF INDIGENOUS FIRE, THAT FIRE SCALE IS OFTEN AT A SCALE OF AN INDIVIDUAL PLANT ON UP TO, YOU KNOW, A FEW, MAYBE A FEW THOUSAND ACRES IN AREA.
BUT MY POINT OF SHARING THIS IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THESE THINGS OPERATE KIND OF ON A FINER GRAIN MOSAIC, BUT ACTUALLY CREATE MANY BENEFITS TO THE LANDSCAPE THAT ULTIMATELY WILL NEVER GET TO THE SAME SCALE AS A WILDFIRE AND THE DEVASTATING IMPACTS WE'RE SEEING TODAY.
SO IN THINKING ABOUT INDIGENOUS FIRE STEWARDSHIP, THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENCES THAT EXIST BETWEEN THE WAY THAT WE CULTURALLY APPLY FIRE AND WORK VERSUS, SAY, PRESCRIBED FIRE OR WILDLAND FIRE SUPPRESSION IN THAT SPACE.
AND TODAY WE OFTEN USE THE TERM WITHIN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA AS BENEFICIAL FIRE, WHICH COULD INCLUDE UNPLANNED IGNITIONS THAT ARE BURNING LIKE LIGHTNING IGNITIONS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, BUT CAN ACTUALLY HAVE SOME PRETTY GOOD IMPACTS FROM TIME TO TIME.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, CONTRASTING THAT WITH THE WORK THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY DOING TO APPLY FIRE TO THE LANDSCAPE.
AND FOR US, YOU KNOW, IT'S ROOTED IN THIS ABILITY TO NAVIGATE BOTH OUR TRADITIONAL LAW AND THE OBJECTIVES THAT ARE SET FORWARD WITHIN THAT, BUT IT'S OFTEN ALSO INTERGENERATIONAL.
SO FOR INSTANCE, YOU KNOW, I HAVE A FAMILY AND MY KIDS HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN BURNING SINCE THEY WERE ABOUT SIX MONTHS OLD.
THEY'VE BEEN WITH ME ON FIRES.
WE'VE BEEN OUT WITH MULTIPLE GENERATIONS OF, YOU KNOW, FAMILY PRACTITIONERS OUT.
SETTING FIRES AND STEWARDING PLACES THAT WE HAVE RESPONSIBILITIES TO TEND.
AND WE COME BACK TO TO NOT ONLY SET FIRE BUT THEN ALSO TO COME BACK AND COLLECT PLANT MATERIALS AND THINGS LIKE THAT IN THOSE PLACES.
SO IN THE BACKGROUND YOU SEE A PHOTOGRAPH OF A BURN THAT WE DID AT THE PLANT MATERIAL CENTER IN LOCKFORD AND YOU KNOW IN THIS CASE WE'RE WORKING WITH THOSE THREE FAMILY GENERATIONS AND SETTING FIRE TO LIKE RESTORE MORE NATIVE SPECIES DOMINANCE IN THIS LANDSCAPE SO THAT THAT WE CAN CULTIVATE.
NATIVE HERBS AND THINGS LIKE THAT IN THIS SPACE.
THAT APPLICATION OF FIRE IS ROOTED IN THIS IDEA, AND I HAD THE WORD ON THE PREVIOUS SLIDE CALLED ALELTE.
IN OUR LANGUAGE IN MYOKOHANAE, WE HAVE A WORD THAT MEANS TO READ, AND OUR LANGUAGE IS AN ORAL LANGUAGE, BUT THIS TERM TO READ IS ACTUALLY A MULTI-SENSORY TERM THAT DISCUSSES NOT ONLY OUR FIVE SENSES BUT ALSO THE SENSE OF INTUITION AND SPIRIT.
WHICH IS PART OF OUR WAY OF INTERPRETING THE WORLD AROUND US.
AND SO WHEN WE UTILIZE THE IDEA OF A VALTE, YOU KNOW, I CAN TRANSLATE THAT INTO, AS I SAY ON THIS SLIDE, READING THE LANDSCAPE FOR FIRE.
WE CAN THINK ABOUT WHERE AND WHEN THE LANDSCAPE IS TELLING US IT NEEDS TO BURN, WHAT ECOSYSTEMS NEED TO BURN, WHAT INDICATOR SPECIES ARE PRESENT IN THAT ARE ALSO TELLING US THAT, AND THEN KNOWING HOW AND WHERE TO APPLY FIRE IN A WAY THAT THAT FIRE IS SELF-LIMITING.
SO WE'RE NOT GETTING TO THE SAME SCALE AS, SAY, SOME OF THE WILDFIRES THAT WE'RE SEEING IN THAT SPACE.
SO, AS AN EXAMPLE, AND I PULLED THIS BECAUSE I SHARED THIS WITH ANNA MARIE A COUPLE YEARS BACK, IS THAT I CAN LOOK AT A LANDSCAPE IN THE EAST BAY HILLS AND THINK OF A PLACE THAT CONDITIONS ARE JUST RIGHT FOR A BURN.
AND AS I SAY ON THIS IN THE NOTE, THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN A GREAT DAY TO BURN.
AND THE RED LINE REPRESENTS KIND OF WHERE I WOULD HAVE SET FIRE IN THIS LANDSCAPE, JUST LOOKING AT THE LAY OF THE LAND, CHANGES IN TOPOGRAPHY, DRAINAGES, CHANGES IN VEGETATION COMMUNITY AND SOILS ARE ALL THINGS THAT ULTIMATELY FEED INTO THE WAY THAT I INTERPRET THE LAND AND THINK ABOUT WHERE I WOULD SAFELY AND EFFECTIVELY PUT FIRE FOR BOTH CULTURAL AND ECOLOGICAL BENEFITS.
SO WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THE DIVERSITY OF ECOSYSTEMS ACROSS THE THE EAST BAY, MANY OF THE ECOSYSTEMS THAT ARE LISTED HERE ARE FOUND THERE AND WE SEE THAT THESE ARE HIGH FIRE FREQUENCY AREAS.
WE THINK ABOUT OUR OAK WOODLANDS.
THEY'RE VERY HIGH FIRE FREQUENCY, TWO TO FIVE YEARS TYPICALLY IS WHAT WE WOULD HAVE TRADITIONALLY BEEN SETTING FIRES WITHIN THOSE PLACES.
AND SO THERE'S THAT ELEMENT OF SETTING FIRE MORE FREQUENTLY.
AND THEN WE CAN THINK, WELL, HOW OFTEN HAVE WE BEEN APPLYING FIRE OVER THE LAST CENTURY TO THESE LOCATIONS? AND THEN BOOTING WITH THAT IS THIS IDEA OF LIKE WHAT SEASONS ARE APPROPRIATE FOR BURNING IN THESE PLACES.
CONCEPTUAL IDEA OF UNDERSTANDING LIKE WHEN CULTURALLY WE MIGHT BE LOOKING TO PUT FIRE INTO THE LANDSCAPE AND WE BASICALLY NOTICE THAT IT'S THROUGHOUT THE YEAR WHEN THOSE OPPORTUNITIES EXIST, BUT FOR DIFFERENT REASONS IN THOSE DIFFERENT SEASONS.
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THROUGH A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT EXAMPLES HERE JUST TO ILLUSTRATE, YOU KNOW, LIKE WHAT THAT STEWARDSHIP LOOKS LIKE.I ACTUALLY BEGAN DOING ACADEMIC RESEARCH AROUND CULTURAL FIRE, INDIGENOUS FIRE STEWARDSHIP IN THE EARLY 2000S, WORKING PRIMARILY IN RIPARIAN ECOSYSTEMS. AND SO THIS IS JUST AN EXAMPLE OF COMING BACK INTO A PLACE WHERE WE'VE TRADITIONALLY COME IN TO GATHER PLANT MATERIALS FOR MAKING BASKETS.
IN FACT, THE BASKET WITH THE WITH THE PATTERN ON IT THERE ON THE UPPER RIGHT.
WAS GENERATED, MADE FROM MATERIALS THAT WERE COLLECTED ON THE SITE PROBABLY BACK IN THE EARLY 1900S.
BUT BECAUSE OF LAND USE CHANGE AND THINGS LIKE THAT, THE ECOSYSTEM GOT OUT OF BALANCE.
SO IN 2002, WE WENT IN AS A COMMUNITY AND SET FIRE WITH THE INTENT OF RESTORING THE LANDSCAPE AND MAINTAINING IT.
UNFORTUNATELY, THE LANDOWNING AGENCY DIDN'T NECESSARILY HAVE THE SAME IDEAS OF HOW FREQUENT FIRE SHOULD BE IN THIS PLACE AND THE CHANGE OF STAFFING.
LED TO AN ACCUMULATION OF FUELS AND WE WEREN'T ABLE TO PUT FIRE BACK INTO IT FOR ANOTHER 20 YEARS.
SO ON THE LEFT-HAND SIDE, YOU SEE US SETTING FIRE IN 2002, AND IN THE MIDDLE THERE YOU SEE FIRE FROM 20 YEARS LATER.
THESE ARE IMPORTANT AREAS FOR STEWARDSHIP BECAUSE WE'VE GOT A LOT OF CULTURAL MATERIAL PLANTS THAT ARE FOUND IN THESE AREAS, AND WE ALSO HAVE A HUGE NUMBER OF ENDANGERED SPECIES THAT ARE ALSO FOUND IN THESE LOCATIONS.
SO ALSO WE DO A LOT OF STEWARDSHIP IN OAK WOODLANDS.
OBVIOUSLY ACORNS ARE A HUGE PART OF CALIFORNIA INDIAN TRADITIONAL FOOD, BUT THERE'S ALSO A LOT OF DIFFERENT PLANT DIVERSITY THAT'S FOUND IN THE UNDERSTORY.
IN MY RESEARCH I ALSO STUDY OAK WOODLANDS INCLUDING VALLEY OAK, BLUE OAK, AND BLACK OAK PRIMARILY.
SO THOSE DECIDUOUS OAK SPECIES, MANY OF WHICH ARE FOUND IN THE EAST BAY.
AND YOU KNOW ACROSS THESE DIFFERENT AREAS THEY SUPPORT A TREMENDOUS DIVERSITY OF PLANTS.
AND WHAT WE NOTICE IN BURNING THESE AREAS IS THAT WHEN WE BURN AT THE RIGHT TIMES, WE CAN ACTUALLY SHIFT THINGS FROM HAVING A HUGE NUMBER OF NON-NATIVE ANNUAL GRASSES PRIMARILY IN THE UNDERSTORY TO SHIFTING THEM MORE TOWARDS NATIVE GRASSES AND FORBS.
BUT IT ALL COMES WITH THE RIGHT TIME OF SETTING FIRE.
FOR THESE PARTICULAR BURNS, WE'RE MOSTLY BURNING IN THE LATE FALL AFTER THE ANNUAL GREEN UP OF NON-NATIVE GRASSES BEGINS.
AND SO WE BURN TO REDUCE THOSE AND THEN PROVIDE THE SPACE FOR THE NATIVES THAT GERMINATE A LITTLE BIT LATER TO COME IN AND STEWARD FOR THEM WITH SUBSEQUENT FIRES.
AND SOME OF THESE PLACES NOW, PARTICULARLY THAT LOWER SET OF FIRES, WHICH ARE ACTUALLY FROM A BLACK OAK COMMUNITY AT THE BIG CHICO CREEK RESERVE, WE'VE HAD FOUR FIRES THAT WERE SET INTENTIONALLY IN THAT LOCATION, PLUS THE PARK FIRE, WHICH HAPPENED IN 2024.
AND THIS WAS ONE OF THOSE NICE CASE STUDIES WHERE THAT STEWARDSHIP ACTUALLY HELPED PREVENT THIS FOREST FROM HAVING.
IT CAME BACK WITHIN WEEKS OF THE PARK FIRE BURNING THROUGH IT.
THE SAME KIND OF CONCEPT WITH THE GRASSLAND AND MEADOW ECOSYSTEMS. SO, HERE WE'RE LOOKING AT AREAS THAT HAVE BEEN RESTORED WITH FIRE, FIRST ENTRY BURNS IN 2011 IN THE UPPER PICTURE, AND MULTIPLE FIRE ENTRIES.
AND BASICALLY, WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS A SHIFT FROM NON-NATIVE PLANTS LIKE YELLOW STAR THISTLE TO NATIVE GRASSES AND FORBS AS WE LOOK AT THE MAY 2023 PHOTOGRAPH THERE.
THERE'S LOTS OF NATIVE GRASSES AND FORBS THAT ARE PRESENT IN THAT.
SAME WITH OUR CHAPARRAL ECOSYSTEMS, AND SO THERE'S JUST A HUGE DIVERSITY OF CONNECTIONS WITH THE ABILITY TO BURN.
ON THIS SLIDE, I'M GOING TO HIGHLIGHT THAT WE'VE GOT THE LIGHTNING COMPLEX IN, I THINK IT WAS 2021.
THAT BURNED AROUND LOS VAQUEROS AND UP ONTO MALLORY RIDGE.
AND I THINK BACK TO MY OWN EXPERIENCE OF BURNING IN THIS LANDSCAPE, IN PROBABLY ABOUT 2023, YOU SEE A FIRE THERE, WHICH FROM CULTURAL INDICATORS, I WOULD SAY, IF WE'RE READING THE LANDSCAPE, WE KNOW THAT WE CAN DO THESE SELF-LIMITING FIRES IN THESE PLACES.
AND ALL OF THESE PHOTOGRAPHS THAT YOU SEE ARE EXAMPLES OF THAT, MINUS THE LIGHTNING COMPLEX.
AND I THINK THE LAST OF THE ECOSYSTEMS THAT I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT AND KNOWING THAT THERE'S A PRESENTATION ACTUALLY AFTER THIS THAT'S FOCUSED ON THE REDWOODS IS TO REALLY HIGHLIGHT THE IMPORTANCE OF STEWARDING OUR MIXED CONIFER FOREST AND REDWOOD COMMUNITIES AND IN PARTICULAR I THINK ABOUT YOU KNOW LIKE THE PRODUCTION OF FOOD IN THE UNDERSTORY SUCH AS HUCKLEBERRIES WHICH ARE THAT BENEFIT FROM FIRE TRADITIONAL FIRE STEWARDSHIP REALLY ENHANCES THE PRODUCTION OF THOSE BERRIES AND SO THESE ARE REASONS WHY YOU KNOW THAT STEWARDSHIP WOULD BE TAKING PLACE.
MORE RECENTLY, WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO CONDUCT A BURN WITH DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES.
AND I HIGHLIGHT THIS HERE BECAUSE I THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, FOR INSTANCE, BIG BREAK PARK AND, YOU KNOW, THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT EXIST THERE.
AND I KNOW ANNA MARIE AND I HAVE HAD SOME DISCUSSIONS ABOUT POTENTIALLY RESTORING FIRE TO THAT LANDSCAPE.
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YOU KNOW, THESE WETLANDS, ALONG WITH OUR RIPARIAN ECOSYSTEMS, ARE SOME OF THE MOST PRODUCTIVE ECOSYSTEMS THAT WE HAVE WITHIN THE STATE.THEY PRODUCE A HUGE AMOUNT OF BIOMASS.
THEY SUPPORT A HUGE AMOUNT OF BIODIVERSITY.
AND WHEN WE DON'T STEWARD THEM, THEY ACTUALLY DECREASE THEIR FUNCTIONS AND DON'T PROVIDE AS GOOD OF HABITAT.
SO IN LATE FEBRUARY, WE DID A BURN WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES ON TWITCHELL ISLAND, AND THIS IS A PHOTOGRAPH OF THAT.
INTERESTINGLY, LIKE THE INTENT OF THIS BURNING WAS ACTUALLY TO REDUCE, TO ENHANCE LIKE THE PRODUCTION OF THE TULES, TO REVERSE SUBSIDENCE AND TO ASSIST WITH GREENHOUSE GAS REDUCTION.
AND, UM, IT'S BEEN A HUGE SUCCESS.
I MEAN, THE DATA THAT'S COMING BACK FROM THIS ALREADY IS JUST OFF THE CHARTS IN TERMS OF HOW PRODUCTIVE IT'S COMING BACK SINCE WE BURNED IT.
BUT IT'S ALSO HIGHLY VOLATILE, LIKE THIS, THIS FUEL THAT WE'RE BURNING THROUGH IN THIS HASN'T HADN'T BEEN BURNED SINCE IT WAS RESTORED OVER 15 YEARS AGO.
AND, YOU KNOW, POTENTIALLY AREAS LIKE THIS THAT ARE UP AGAINST NEIGHBORHOODS COULD POTENTIALLY BE AN UNSUSPECTING AREA WHERE FIRE COULD SPREAD, YOU KNOW, FROM THE WETLANDS INTO INTO THE COMMUNITIES.
SO I HIGHLIGHT THAT HERE JUST AS A POINT OF REFERENCE.
SO OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, THE EAST BAY HAS A HISTORY OF DIFFERENT FIRES.
AND I THINK IN A LOT OF OUR MINDS, WE MIGHT REMEMBER THE TUNNEL FIRE BACK IN 1991, YOU KNOW, AND I REALLY THINK ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT EXIST WITH EAST BAY REGIONAL PARKS AS BEING ONE OF THE LARGER LANDOWNERS IN THE REGION THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A HUGE OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO BE ABLE TO PARTNER TOGETHER TRIBALLY WITH THE PARKS.
FIRE DEPARTMENT AND OTHERS WITHIN THE REGION, DIABLO FIRE SAFE COUNCIL AND OTHERS, TO BE ABLE TO REALLY STEWARD THIS, TO AVOID THE KIND OF IMPACTS THAT WE SEE FROM FIRES LIKE THE TUNNEL FIRE.
AND I WOULD SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, LIKE THERE'S SOME REAL IMPLICATIONS THAT COME FROM THE STEWARDSHIP THAT I DIDN'T MENTION PREVIOUSLY, BUT, YOU KNOW, I MENTIONED THE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS, REDUCTIONS AND CARBON SEQUESTRATION.
AND SO LIKE, THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF STEWARDSHIP AT MY OWN HOUSE HERE WHERE I LIVE.
18 YEARS OF DOING INDIGENOUS STEWARDSHIP BURNING IN THIS LANDSCAPE HAS ACTUALLY INCREASED SOIL ORGANIC MATTER, WHICH HAS ALSO LED TO BETTER WATER INFILTRATION AND HOLDING CAPACITY WITHIN THE SOIL.
SO I THINK HOLISTICALLY, IF WE APPLY THESE PRINCIPLES ACROSS THE LANDSCAPE, WE'RE ABLE TO ACHIEVE SOME PRETTY GOOD OUTCOMES THAT ARE NEEDED FOR THE POPULATION IN THE EAST BAY AND BEYOND.
AND I WOULD JUST NOTE THAT THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD POLICIES THAT ARE EMERGING FROM THE STATE AND FEDERAL AGENCIES AROUND THE SUPPORT FOR CULTURAL FIRE IN PARTICULAR, BUT IN GENERAL, BENEFICIAL FIRE.
THE STATE HAS BEEN REALLY PROACTIVE IN TRYING TO STAND UP THE OPPORTUNITIES TO SUPPORT MORE AROUND INDIGENOUS FIRE STEWARDSHIP.
AND WE'VE GOT SOME GREAT PARTNERSHIPS THAT ARE EMERGING WITH AGENCIES AROUND THAT, INCLUDING.
INCLUDING, YOU KNOW, STATE PARKS AND DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES AS EXAMPLES THAT I'VE HIGHLIGHTED HERE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, LIKE THIS IDEA IN ANNEMARIE'S INTRODUCTION IS LIKE FOR ME BEING RECOGNIZED AS A CULTURAL BURNER, BUT ALSO A CALIFORNIA CERTIFIED BURN BOSS.
LIKE THESE ARE THINGS THAT ACTUALLY PROVIDE ME THE ABILITY TO WORK WITH PARKS AND OTHER FOLKS TO BE ABLE TO APPLY FIRE WITHIN THE LANDSCAPE AND IN CONSISTENCE WITH OUR TRADITIONAL PRACTICES AND KNOWLEDGE BASE.
SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, IN SUMMING THIS UP, I WOULD SAY THAT THERE'S OBVIOUSLY A LOT OF BENEFITS THAT COME FROM BENEFICIAL FIRE, PARTICULARLY INDIGENOUS FIRE STEWARDSHIP.
WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THE CHALLENGES WE FACE WITH GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS AND CARBON CYCLES IMPACTS TO OUR COMMUNITIES AND THE LOSS OF BIODIVERSITY.
INDIGENOUS FIRE IS THE THING THAT'S REALLY GIVEN US THE ABILITY FOR THESE LANDSCAPES TO BE SHAPED IN THE WAY THAT THEY HAD BEEN PRIOR TO EUROPEAN SETTLEMENT.
AND AS WE THINK ABOUT THE FUTURE, LIKE THESE ARE THE SAME PRACTICES AND PROCESSES THAT NEED TO BE PUT BACK IN PLACE, ADAPTING TO THE CURRENT TIME PERIOD SO THIS LANDSCAPE CAN CONTINUE TO BE RESILIENT AND RESISTANT TO THE EFFECTS OF WILDFIRES.
WITH THAT, I THINK THERE'S ONE LAST SLIDE MAYBE, AND I'LL BRING IT TO A CLOSE THERE.
I JUST WENT TO THE OAKLAND GOOD FIRE EXHIBIT RECENTLY, TOO.
BUT BEFORE I JUMP INTO THAT, I GUESS FIRST, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR REQUESTS FOR CLARIFICATION FROM THE BOARD? AND THEN WE'LL SEE IF THERE'S ANY PUBLIC COMMENT AND THEN BRING IT BACK.
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YES, THANKS SO MUCH FOR THAT PRESENTATION.IT WAS A REALLY INFORMATIVE OVERVIEW OF ALL THE WORK YOU'RE DOING AND THE RESEARCH YOU'RE DOING.
I BELIEVE I KNOW THE ANSWER TO THIS, BUT I'D LIKE TO ASK IT, SINCE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS HERE AT EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT, I'D LIKE TO UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, HAVE WE, ON ANY OF THE LANDS THAT WE, YOU KNOW, MANAGE OR STEWARD, HAVE WE HAD ANY PRESCRIBED OR CONTROLLED BURNS ON EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT LAND? SO I KNOW THAT THERE'S A HISTORY OF BURNING.
IN FACT, THAT EXAMPLE FROM MALLORY RIDGE WHERE WE WERE BURNING IN THE CHAPARRAL BACK IN 2003, 2004, WAS AN EXAMPLE WHERE IT WAS...
WAS A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN AGENCIES, FIRE DEPARTMENTS, ET CETERA, WORKING TOGETHER.
AND I KNOW THAT THERE'S A HISTORY OF THAT AT ROUND VALLEY AND COYOTE HILLS.
BUT I THINK THAT THE PARK HAS MAYBE COME OUT OF PRACTICE FROM THAT.
AND I THINK THIS IS REALLY THE OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO BE ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH NEW PARTNERSHIPS AND PARTICULARLY THINKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE OPPORTUNITIES OF BRINGING IN INDIGENOUS STEWARDSHIP AND THE PRACTICES AROUND THAT.
YOU KNOW, I THINK, LIKE, THERE'S A LOT OF INTEREST FROM...
FROM REGIONAL TRIBES AND BUILDING THAT CAPACITY AND RECONNECTING TO THE LANDSCAPE.
AND OBVIOUSLY THE PARK HAS A LOT OF LAND FOR US TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT ON.
SO, YOU KNOW, I HAVE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH, WITH THE FIRE CHIEF AND, YOU KNOW, FROM PARKS AND OTHERS AROUND THIS SPACE.
BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE'RE KIND OF WAITING FOR THE RIGHT ALIGNMENT FOR, FOR PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO WORK TOGETHER IN THOSE KINDS OF SPACES, BUT CERTAINLY HAVING THE BOARD BUY-IN AND SUPPORT FOR THAT, I THINK WOULD BE TREMENDOUS.
MAX CORTON, ACTING GENERAL MANAGER, THAT THIS IS SORT OF PART OF WHY WE'RE WORKING ON THIS DISTRICT-WIDE VEGETATION STRATEGY IS TO HELP BRING FORWARD SOME OF THESE METHODS LIKE USING PRESCRIBED FIRE AND CULTURAL BURNS AND BEING ABLE TO HAVE A STRATEGIC WAY TO BRING THAT BACK TO THE LANDSCAPE KNOWING THAT THAT'S A REAL VALUE.
I'D SAY I JUST APPRECIATE A BUNCH OF THE TEAM MEMBERS THAT ARE HERE AND ESPECIALLY ANNA MARIE.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE WORKING ON IS UM YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THE TECHNICAL PIECES THAT WILL ENABLE US TO DO MORE CULTURAL BURNS? AND SO WE'RE WORKING ON A FIELD TRIP UP TO SONOMA COUNTY WITH SONOMA COUNTY PARKS AND THE GREAT AND RANCHERIA TRIBE UP THERE WHERE THEY HAVE A CO-MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT AT TOLE LAKE, WHICH IS ONE OF THE REGIONAL PARKS, AND THEY ACTUALLY DO CULTURAL BURNING THERE WHERE TRIBAL MEMBERS ARE ABLE TO HELP.
YOU KNOW, SET THE FIRE AND BE A PART OF THE BURN.
AND SO I THINK THAT IS A VISION THAT WE'VE HEARD WOULD BE REALLY VALUABLE HERE IN EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK.
SO WE'RE GOING TO GO UP THERE AND NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, WITH OUR STEWARDSHIP TEAM, OUR CULTURAL RESOURCE FOLKS, OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT FOLKS, BUT ALSO JASON, LIKE OUR LEGAL TEAM, OUR RISK MANAGEMENT FOLKS, BECAUSE WE REALLY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE THINKING HOLISTICALLY ABOUT HOW YOU WE CAN DO THIS AND SORT OF MAKE IT PART OF WHAT WE DO.
SO TO DON'S POINT THAT WE DON'T FORGET ABOUT IT AGAIN OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
YEAH, AND THAT'S A GREAT, GREAT THING THAT YOU GUYS ARE GOING OUT TO CHECK OUT SONOMA COUNTY PARKS.
ACTUALLY, ONE OF THEIR FIRE MANAGERS, DEVIN, SORRY, NOT DEVIN, BUT LEN MAZUR WAS A STUDENT OF MINE.
AND I ACTUALLY WAS RECENTLY OUT IN THE FIELD WITH HIM LOOKING AT SOME OF THE WORK THAT THEY'VE BEEN DOING WITH GRAYDON.
SO YEAH, REALLY, REALLY GOOD TO DEFINITELY TAKE THAT OPPORTUNITY.
HOPEFULLY LEARN WAYS TO SUPPORT THIS WORK.
MATT GRAWL, ACTING AGM FOR ACQUISITION STEWARDSHIP AND PLANNING.
I CAN ALSO ADD THAT OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT IS WORKING TO GET THAT CAPACITY BACK AND THAT KNOWLEDGE BASE IN THE DEPARTMENT.
AND SO THEY'VE RECENTLY HIRED STAFF THAT ARE CERTIFIED BURN BOSSES, BUT WE'VE BEEN DOING OCCASIONAL TRAINING BURNS EACH YEAR.
SOME YEARS WE'VE DONE POINT PINOLE, AND THEN LAST YEAR THEY DID ONE AT SHADOW CLIFFS, AND I THINK THEY'RE PLANNING ANOTHER TRAINING BURN AGAIN AT SHADOW CLIFFS.
THEY'RE JUST BUILDING THAT KNOWLEDGE BASE WITHIN THAT GROUP TO THEN EXPAND TO DO MORE OF THESE FIRES FOR RESOURCE AND FUEL MANAGEMENT REASONS.
BUT THEY'VE BEEN DOING IT IN MORE SORT OF SIMPLE AREAS ON SMALL SCALE WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT, BUT LOOKING FORWARD TO THE THINGS MAX TALKED ABOUT AND DOING MORE COLLABORATIVE WORK IN THE FUTURE.
YEAH, AND THAT FOLLOWS UP ON SOME OF MY OTHER QUESTIONS.
YOU KNOW, WE MENTIONED THE TRAINING BURN AT SHADOW CLIFFS LAST SUMMER.
WAS THAT DONE IN PARTNERSHIP? I THINK YOU JUST MENTIONED THIS, BUT CAN YOU JUST EXPAND ON THIS IN PARTNERSHIP? IN REGARDS TO THE CULTURAL BURN PRACTICES, AND LET ME ALSO ADD ONE OTHER POINT TO THAT, BECAUSE I KNOW LIVERMORE PLEASANTON FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS DONE PRESCRIBED BURNS, BUT I'M NOT SURE IF IT'S BEEN DONE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH TRIBAL PARTNERS, AND THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN KIND OF NEAR DELVAL AT SYCAMORE GROVE PARK.
I KNOW THAT LIVERMORE PLEASANTON FIRE DEPARTMENT HAD DONE A CONTROLLED BURN THERE.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH TRIBAL, AND WE MAY NOT HAVE THAT ANSWER AS WELL BECAUSE IT'S NOT OUR JURISDICTION.
[00:30:01]
COUNTY FIRE HAS ALSO DONE CONTROLLED BURNS IN THE DUBLIN HILLS, AND I'M ALSO NOT SURE IF THAT'S ALSO IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CULTURAL.SO TO MAKE THIS INTO THE QUESTION, I THINK THERE ARE SOME CONTROLLED BURNS AND PRESCRIBED BURNS THAT ARE BEING DONE, BUT MAYBE NOT IN PARTNERSHIP.
HOW CAN WE HELP? TELL THAT STORY SO THAT WHEN WE WERE TALKING TO ALAMEDA COUNTY FIRE OR LIVERMORE PLEASANTON FIRE DEPARTMENT, WE CAN ALSO SHARE BEST PRACTICES OF WORKING WITH TRIBAL PARTNERS.
YEAH, I THINK THAT'S THE GOAL WITH ALL THESE THINGS.
AND I KNOW THERE WERE SOME PARTNERS, SOME LOCAL FIRE AGENCY PARTNERS AND OTHERS AT CAL FIRE THAT WERE PART OF THAT TRAINING PROGRAM, I BELIEVE, BUT I DON'T KNOW THERE WOULD BE A QUESTION FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ABOUT HOW THAT WAS DONE LAST YEAR.
I DON'T THINK SHE WAS DIRECTLY INVOLVED EITHER.
FOR THE STATE, THERE WE GO, THAT'S IT.
RIFE WITH TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES.
WHEN STATE PARKS DO BURNS, THEY DO REACH OUT TO TRIBES.
SO WE DO KNOW THAT'S PART OF THEIR PRACTICE.
FOR THE TRAINING BURNOUT AT SHADOW CLIFFS, THAT WAS PURELY FOR TRAINING, SO WE DID NOT REACH OUT AT THAT TIME.
BUT AS MAX AND EVERYBODY IS SAYING, THAT IS OUR ULTIMATE GOAL, TO FIND THOSE AREAS THAT WOULD BE MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL FOR BOTH US AND FOR THE TRIBES.
AND I THINK PART OF THIS EFFORT, IT MIGHT BE INTERESTING TO FIND OUT ABOUT THE CONTROLLED BURNS THAT DO HAPPEN IN THE EAST BAY, MAYBE BY ALAMEDA COUNTY FIRE OR BY ANOTHER PARTNER FIRE AGENCY, AND JUST FIND OUT WHAT THEY DO AS PART OF THAT PRACTICE, JUST TO HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT IT MIGHT LOOK LIKE.
YOU KNOW, WITH OR WITHOUT TRIBAL PARTNERSHIP OR TRIBAL CULTURAL PRACTICES.
BECAUSE I WOULD BE CURIOUS ABOUT THAT.
AND THEN I KNOW I DID RECEIVE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE SHADOW CLIFFS BURN LAST SUMMER.
I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF CONCERN ABOUT SOME OF THE ANIMAL SPECIES AND, YOU KNOW, HAD THEY BEEN AFFECTED BY THAT TRAINING BURN AND, YOU KNOW, HOW WE MIGHT MESSAGE THAT.
BECAUSE I RECEIVED MULTIPLE COMMENTS ABOUT THAT, THAT PEOPLE WERE CONCERNED THAT MAYBE SOME ANIMALS MIGHT HAVE PERISHED IN THAT.
TRAINING EXERCISE AND SO THAT I KNOW THAT'S ALSO SOMETHING TO CONSIDER YOU KNOW HOW MIGHT WE ANSWER THAT TYPE OF COMMENT AND THEN MY NEXT QUESTION IS I KNOW THAT WE HAVE SOME GOOD YOU KNOW I REALLY APPRECIATED THE SLIDES SHOWING YOU KNOW SOME OF THE THAT SHIFT FROM NON-NATIVE TO NATIVE SPECIES YOU KNOW IN RESPONSE TO OR AFTER WILDFIRE AND I'M CURIOUS IF WE KNOW SAY MOUNT DIABLO DID SOME STUDIES IN REGARDS TO RESPONSE TO THE SCU LIGHTNING COMPLEX IN THE DIABLO RANGE AND SO WE HAVE SOME REALLY GOOD YOU KNOW VIDEOS AND PHOTOGRAPHS OF YOU KNOW WILDFLOWERS THAT HADN'T BEEN SEEN SINCE MAJOR SINCE A MAJOR FIRE OR HADN'T BEEN SEEN IN DECADES IN THE DIABLO RANGE I'M CURIOUS IF WE AT EAST BAY PARK ALSO KEEP TRACK OF THAT SO I KNOW SOME OF THE SCU LIGHTNING FIRE HAPPENED AROUND DELVAL AND ALSO IN ROUND VALLEY IF WE HAVE THAT DOCUMENTED AND THEN I ALSO AM THINKING ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO 2024.
SO I BELIEVE SCU LIGHTNING COMPLEX IS OUR LARGEST WILDFIRE IN TERMS OF ACREAGE AND THEN OUR SECOND FROM MY UNDERSTANDING WAS THE CREEK FIRE IN SUNOL TWO SUMMERS AGO 2024.
AND SO I'M CURIOUS IF WE ALSO ARE TRACKING TO SEE YOU KNOW WHAT THE WHAT THE NATURE'S RESPONSE IS AFTER THAT FIRE.
AND THEN ALSO, AGAIN, THINKING ABOUT PARTNER AGENCIES, I KNOW LAST SUMMER ONE OF THE BIG FIRES IN MY AREA WAS THE CAMP PARKS FIRE, SO THAT WOULD BE U.S.
I THINK IT WAS ABOUT 118 ACRES, AND I DON'T KNOW IF WE ARE, THROUGH OUR CONVERSATIONS WITH THE U.S.
ARMY AND OR CITY OF DUBLIN, IF WE ALSO KEEP TRACK OF WHAT THE NATURAL LANDSCAPE'S RESPONSE IS.
WELL, YEAH, MATT GRAWL, CAN I GET AN ANSWER? AT LEAST FOR THE SCU LIGHTNING COMPLEX FIRE AREA, WE DID DO MONITORING IN MORGAN TERRITORY, ROUND VALLEY, AND THE SONOMA-OHLONE AREA, AND WE WILL BE TALKING ABOUT THAT AT AN UPCOMING BOARD TOUR A LITTLE BIT, SO WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT THAT.
SORRY, I'M TRYING TO THINK OF THE DATE.
SO, YEAH, SO SURGIB'S BEEN DOING THAT, AND WE CAN TALK MORE ABOUT THAT.
THE CREEK FIRE, I DON'T BELIEVE WE MONITORED AFTER THAT ONE.
THAT WAS A LITTLE BIT SMALLER IN SCALE, AND I DON'T THINK WE DID MONITORING AFTER THAT ONE, BUT THE SCU LIGHTNING COMPLEX FOR SURE.
YEAH, AND SO WE DID A LOT OF MONITORING, WILDLIFE MONITORING AND ALSO VEGETATION, PRIMARILY VEGETATION, BUT WE DID SEVERAL YEARS
[00:35:01]
OF SURVEYS, SO WE'LL BE HAPPY TO TALK MORE.IF I CAN JUST ADD ONE THING ON THAT IS, YOU KNOW, TIMING OF FIRE IS REALLY CRITICAL TO THE OUTCOMES THAT WE GET.
SO WHEN FIRES ARE MAYBE LIT IN THE ANNUAL GRASSES IN THE MIDDLE OF SUMMER, YOU'RE BASICALLY JUST GOING TO GET THE SAME THING COMING BACK.
BUT WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THE TIMING FOR NATIVE SPECIES, LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING MOSTLY, AS I SAID, FOR MY EXPERIENCE, BURNING IN THE FALL AFTER THE WET SEASON BEGINS CAN BE TRANSFORMATIONAL IN TERMS OF GETTING A SHIFT TO NATIVE SPECIES TO START TO COME BACK IN.
AND THEN IN KEEPING WITH THAT PROGRAM IS CRITICAL.
SO AND FROM THE WILDLIFE PERSPECTIVE, IT'S THE SAME KIND OF THING.
IT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, BURNING WHEN, I DON'T KNOW, RED-LEGGED FROGS OR AN ESTIVATION, FOR INSTANCE, IS A WAY TO AVOID THAT, WHICH MAY NOT HAPPEN DURING THE MIDDLE OF THE EARLY PART OF SUMMER, LET'S SAY.
AND THEN WITH THAT, ARE THERE REQUIREMENTS FROM ANY OF THE PERMIT AGENCIES WHEN WE DO? PRESCRIBED BURNS, SO IF WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT RED-LEGGED FROGS IN AN AREA, BEFORE WE WOULD DO A PRESCRIBED BURN, DO WE HAVE TO GET SOME TYPE OF PERMITTING? I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH THAT.
I THINK IF IT'S DONE IN THE APPROPRIATE TIME FRAME AND SIMILAR TO WHAT DON IS DESCRIBING, I DON'T THINK WE NEED PERMITS FROM THE WILDLIFE AGENCIES.
BUT I KNOW THE ONE PERMIT WE DO NEED OFTEN FOR THESE AND IT AFFECTS OUR TRAINING BURNS IS FROM THE AIR BOARD.
AND OFTEN WE'VE HAD ISSUES WHERE WE'VE HAD THAT PERMIT IN PLACE, WE GO OUT TO START THE BURN, AND THE WIND'S TOO STRONG FOR THOSE PERMIT CONDITIONS.
AND THEN OFTEN WE CAN MISS THE WINDOW IF WE DON'T, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THE TIMING HAS TO BE RIGHT WITH SOIL MOISTURE AND EVERYTHING ELSE AND VEGETATION MOISTURE TO START BURNING.
SO THAT'S ONE OF THE AIRWARD PERMITS ARE ONE OF THE CHALLENGES TO CONDUCTING BURNING AT THE TIMES WE'D LIKE TO.
YOU COVERED MY QUESTIONS, SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
AND JUST THANK YOU, PROFESSOR, FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I'LL ALSO NOTE THAT ON THAT LAST COMMENT ON THE AIR QUALITY, THE AIR BOARD FOLKS ARE ACTUALLY MEETING IN CHICO TODAY, AND I GAVE A PRESENTATION TO THEM YESTERDAY.
THEY'RE STARTING TO ALIGN A LOT MORE AROUND THESE TOPICS TOO.
SO THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS COMING INTO ALIGNMENT IN THAT RESPECT.
I HAVE A COUPLE MORE QUESTIONS, AND WE CAN SEE IF WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS.
I'M CURIOUS, YOU STARTED TO TOUCH ON IT AFTER THE FIRST RAINS AND THINGS.
IT SEEMS THERE'S A DELICATE BALANCE.
I MEAN, THERE'S SO MUCH ABOUT THIS THAT I LOVE AND SO MUCH RESPECT FOR THE EARTH AND TIMING AND LISTENING TO THE EARTH AND RESPONDING.
AND I UNDERSTAND THERE'S REALLY SPECIFICS AND SACREDNESS ABOUT STARTING THE FIRE.
BUT ON THE TECHNICAL SIDE, WHAT ABOUT THE TEMPERATURE AND THE TIMING? LIKE YOU DON'T WANT IT TOO HOT.
YOU DON'T WANT IT TO KILL CERTAIN SEEDS.
YOU DON'T WANT TO WAIT TILL THE FUEL'S TOO LONG.
I MEAN, THERE MUST BE QUITE A SCIENCE THAT YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW UP UNTIL LIKE THE WEATHER WE'VE BEEN HAVING NOW.
IS THAT ALL PART OF IT? I MEAN, WHAT AN INTERESTING, I HAVEN'T HEARD THE TERM.
WHAT ARE YOU, A FIRE BOSS? YEAH, A BURN, CALIFORNIA BURN BOSS.
SO, I MEAN, IS ALL THAT, IS IT SACRED OR SCIENTIFIC OR A LITTLE BIT OF BOTH? WELL, FROM THE CULTURAL SIDE, I WOULD SAY THAT THERE'S A LOT OF NUANCE TO IT.
YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE AS I'M OUT THERE WEARING THE CULTURAL HAT ON BURNS THAT I'M DOING, YOU KNOW, IN MOST PLACES.
AND I DO A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF BURNS.
BUT, YOU KNOW, ON THE CULTURAL SIDE, YOU KNOW, I'M REALLY DRAWING FROM LIKE, WHAT DOES THAT FEEL LIKE IN THAT SPACE? YOU KNOW, LIKE IF I WAS BURNING A SACRED SITE YOU KNOW AM I GETTING AM I GETTING THE RIGHT FEELING INSIDE ME THAT TELLS ME THIS IS THE THING NOW TO DO AND YOU KNOW UM THE THE KINDS OF FIRE BEHAVIOR AND OUTCOMES ARE REALLY DRIVEN BY WHAT WE SEE IS THE NEED FOR THE FIRE IN THAT PLACE SO SOMETIMES IT DOES CALL FOR A HOTTER FIRE UM YOU KNOW AND I THINK ABOUT UM I DON'T KNOW JUST THINKING ABOUT CERTAIN PLACES IN IN THAT I'VE SEEN WITHIN THE PARK'S LANDS LIKE OKAY MAYBE SOME OF THEM DO NEED A HOTTER FIRE TO LIKE CLEAR OUT THE AREAS, MAYBE GET RID OF SOME OF THE INVASIVE SPECIES WITH THE HOTTER FIRE, AND ALSO MAYBE SOME OF THE ENERGY THAT EXISTS IN SOME OF THOSE PLACES THAT ARE MAYBE SPIRITUALLY BAD FROM A CULTURAL PERSPECTIVE, TO SET IT RIGHT AND THEN COME BACK IN WITH A COOLER FIRE TO STEWARD IT THEN AFTER.
AND THESE ARE ALL THINGS THAT AS YOU'RE OUT BURNING, YOU SEE THOSE THINGS AND YOU YOU CAN ADJUST YOUR BURN PATTERNS AND THINGS LIKE THAT TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
SOMETIMES IT'S HARDER TO GET PEOPLE WHO ARE LEARNING TO DO PRESCRIBED FIRE TO UNDERSTAND THAT.
[00:40:01]
IN TRAINING PEOPLE TO DO BURNING, I REALLY TRY TO EMPHASIZE MORE OF LIKE PAYING ATTENTION TO THE LAND, KNOW THE ECOLOGY FIRST.AND THEN IF YOU UNDERSTAND THE CULTURAL SIDE OF IT, THAT'S AN ADDITIVE TO IT.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF NUANCE AND SOME PEOPLE WOULD SAY IT'S A MIX BETWEEN ART AND SCIENCE IN THAT REGARD.
I IMAGINE THAT WAS THE ANSWER.
IS THERE ACTUALLY A CERTIFICATE WHEN YOU SAY YOU'RE A BURN BOSS? I DON'T WE DIDN'T REALLY GET MUCH HISTORY ON THAT.
IS THAT A CLASSIFICATION GIVEN OUT BY A CERTAIN ORGANIZATION? I MEAN, YEAH.
SO OTHER BURN BOSSES OUT THERE ARE THERE.
SO ON THE CALIFORNIA CERTIFIED BURN BOSS PROGRAM, IT'S A PROGRAM THAT'S BEEN AROUND FOR ABOUT MAYBE FOUR OR FIVE YEARS.
AND IT'S ACTUALLY THROUGH THE STATE FIRE MARSHAL'S OFFICE WITH THE INTENT OF TRYING TO BASICALLY ALLOW FOR CAL FIRE TO RECOGNIZE THAT, YOU KNOW, PRIVATE LANDOWNERS AND OTHER FOLKS CAN ALSO BE ENGAGING IN THE SPACE.
BUT THEY WANTED TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE WERE BURNING SAFELY.
SO MANY OF THE PEOPLE WHO'VE GONE TO THE CALIFORNIA CERTIFIED BURN BOSS COURSE ARE MOSTLY LIKE PRETTY INVOLVED FIRE PRACTITIONERS THAT MAYBE WORK FOR AN AGENCY AT ONE POINT OR ARE JUST OTHERWISE VERY HEAVILY INVOLVED.
SO THEY GO THROUGH THE PROGRAM AND THEY GET A CERTIFICATE FROM THE STATE.
FIRE MARSHAL'S OFFICE AROUND THAT.
BUT BEYOND THAT, YOU KNOW, IS ALSO JUST AS A CULTURAL PRACTITIONER, YOU KNOW, LIKE THE EXPERIENCE THAT I'VE HAD BURNING THROUGHOUT MY LIFETIME PREDATES ANY OF THAT KIND OF STUFF.
AND I WOULD SAY IT'S A MORE SOLID FOUNDATION THAN THE CALIFORNIA BURN BOSS PROGRAM THAT ROOTS ME TO PLACES IN THE ECOSYSTEM WHERE I'M STEWARDING.
AND I CAN BRING THAT INTO THE CALIFORNIA BURN BOSS PROGRAM.
AND DEPENDING ON WHO THE PARTNERS ARE THAT I'M WORKING WITH, I CAN EITHER BE THE CULTURAL BURNER OR I CAN BE THE THE BURN BOSS, DEPENDING ON WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR IN THAT SPACE.
AND, YOU KNOW, LIKE THE POLICIES LIKE SB 332 RECOGNIZE AND CODIFIES LIKE THE IDEAS OF THE CALIFORNIA BURN BOSS PROGRAM, BUT ALSO RECOGNIZES CULTURAL BURNING ON PAR WITH EACH OTHER.
SO THAT'S A NICE THING THAT THE STATE HAS DONE RECENTLY.
WELL, YOU'RE A WEALTH OF INFORMATION.
I GUESS I JUST ADD ON TO THAT QUESTION, MAYBE MORE FOR ANNE-MARIE ON THE...
I'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS AND ASKED BEFORE ABOUT OTHER TRIBAL LEADERS, LIKE WHERE DOES DAWN FIT IN AND HOW DID WE GET SO LUCKY TO HAVE DAWN AND ARE THERE OTHERS OUT THERE AND WHAT WOULD HAPPEN NEXT FOR INPUT FROM OUR INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES.
I GUESS WHAT WOULD BE THE NEXT STEPS ON THAT FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT? A LOT OF TALKING AND CONSULTATION AND WORK WITHIN IT.
SO NOTHING'S HAPPENING SOON ON THIS.
THIS IS MORE OF A MORE TO COME? YES, EXACTLY.
YOU PUT THE CALL OUT THERE, I'LL BRING PEOPLE ALONG, ANNEMARIE.
I GET EVERYBODY ON YOUR LIST TO SHOW UP.
I MAYBE, I WANT ONE OTHER QUESTION WOULD BE, AND MAYBE THAT'S STILL TO COME TOO, WOULD BE THE FISCAL IMPACT OF THIS VERSUS OUR FUEL TEAM VERSUS HOW WE WOULD GO OUT TO BID, HOW DO HOW DO WE PICK? HOW DOES THIS COMPARE TO CATTLE? I DON'T KNOW.
I HAVE SO MANY EXCITING QUESTIONS ALONG THE PILOT, THE FISCAL SIDE OF IT.
ALL THAT'S ALSO TO COME? THERE ARE CERTAINLY A LOT OF GRANTS AVAILABLE FOR THIS TYPE OF WORK, AND THERE'S A LOT OF EXEMPTIONS.
SO THERE'S, AS DON WAS KIND OF MENTIONING BEFORE, THERE'S A LOT OF ENCOURAGEMENT AND A LOT OF THINGS ALIGNING TO MAKE THIS TYPE OF WORK HAPPEN.
AND SO AS WE WORK TOWARDS IT, THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT THAT WE WORK THROUGH TOGETHER.
I GUESS IS THERE PUBLIC COMMENT, MAX? I JUST HAD YOUR QUESTION.
LIKE I THINK, AGAIN, THAT'S SORT OF WHAT OUR VEGETATION MANAGEMENT STRATEGY IS ALL ABOUT TOO, IS LIKE I THINK IN TERMS OF LIKE THIS COMPARED TO GRAZING AND FUELS CREW WORK, I THINK IT'S LIKE A YES AND MOMENT, RIGHT? LIKE ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE APPROPRIATE IN DIFFERENT PLACES.
AND SO WE, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, HECK, IF WE COULD JUST RETURN FIRE TO THE LANDSCAPE AND NOT DO THOSE, YOU KNOW, NOT USE CHAINSAWS, I'D BE LIKE, LET'S DO IT.
BUT WE CAN'T DO THAT EVERYWHERE.
SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHY THESE DIFFERENT APPROACHES ARE REALLY VALUABLE.
AND WITH EACH ONE, IT'S LIKE HAVING THAT, YOU KNOW, THE SCIENCE THAT UNDERLINES, LIKE, HOW WE CAN GET THE BEST RESULTS FOR THE NATURAL RESOURCES AND FOR OUR COMMUNITIES.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, HAVING THAT CONNECT WITH JUST THE REALITIES OF.
THE PLACE WHERE WE'RE NEXT TO NEIGHBORHOODS, WHERE WE HAVE OTHER KINDS OF CONSTRAINTS, AND JUST COMING UP WITH THE MOST INFORMED APPROACH.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HOPING TO HAVE, SORT OF A STRATEGY THAT TAKES ALL THAT INTO ACCOUNT.
DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? WE HAVE NO PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM.
BEFORE WE MOVE ON, I WANTED TO MAKE A QUICK CORRECTION.
I WAS WRONG WITH THE BOARD TOUR WHEN I SAID IT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD A MINUTE AGO.
IT'S MAY THE 8TH, FRIDAY, MAY 8TH.
[00:45:01]
TERRITORY AND THE IRON HORSE TRAIL.SO THAT'S WHAT WE'LL TALK MORE ABOUT.
POND RESTORATION, FIRE, ALL KINDS OF THINGS.
AND FROM THE COMMITTEE, ANY OTHER COMMENTS? I HAVE ONE MORE THAT I THOUGHT OF AS WE WERE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION.
AGAIN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US AND SHARING ABOUT YOUR WORK AND YOUR RESEARCH.
IT'S REALLY GOOD AND IMPORTANT INFORMATION TO HAVE, ESPECIALLY AS WE'RE PUTTING TOGETHER THE VEGETATION MANAGEMENT PLAN.
AND I THINK THAT WE ALSO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE ALL OF THIS INFORMATION WITH PARTNER AGENCIES AND OTHER CONSTITUENTS IN THE EAST BAY.
YOU KNOW, ONE THING I THOUGHT OF, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ART AND SCIENCE AND ALSO THINKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHETHER WE RELY ON SCIENCE OR MAYBE SOME OF THE NUANCES OF THE CULTURAL PRACTICE, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS I THOUGHT ABOUT, THOUGH, IS HOW, YOU KNOW, ONE, WE'VE BEEN OUT OF CYCLE FOR A WHILE IN TERMS OF USING CULTURAL BURNS AS A WAY TO MANAGE OUR LANDS.
AND SO IT TAKES TIME TO LEARN THAT, BUT THEN WE'RE ALSO AT THE SAME TIME IN PARALLEL.
DEALING WITH WEATHER PATTERNS THAT ARE NOT FOLLOWING HISTORICAL DATA.
AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE PALISADES FIRE IN THE LOS ANGELES AREA EARLIER, YOU KNOW, THAT MADE ME ALSO THINK ABOUT THE FACT THAT THAT FIRE HAPPENED, AND ALSO THE EATON FIRE, THAT BOTH THOSE FIRES HAPPENED IN JANUARY AT A TIME THAT'S NOT TYPICALLY PART OF OUR CALIFORNIA WILDFIRE SEASON, AND THEY WERE SUCH DEVASTATING FIRES TO HAPPEN OUT OF CYCLE.
THE MINDSET OF ART AND SCIENCE IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE WE DO RECOGNIZE THAT WEATHER PATTERNS ARE NOT FOLLOWING HISTORICAL DATA, AND SO WE DO NEED TO BE PREPARED FOR A MARCH WHERE WE HIT ALMOST 100 DEGREES IN SOME PARTS OF THE EAST BAY, WHICH IS WHAT HAPPENED THIS YEAR.
AND I KNOW THAT THAT WAS REALLY CHALLENGING FOR WINE GROWERS, FOR EXAMPLE, BECAUSE THEY WEREN'T EXPECTING SUCH A HOT MARCH, AND THAT'S NOT GOOD FOR AGRICULTURE.
AND I THINK THAT WITH ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT CHALLENGES, IT'S IMPORTANT TO KEEP THAT IN MIND AND I THINK TO THINK ABOUT ALL THE DIFFERENT APPROACHES.
SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE THINK ABOUT OUR VEGETATION MANAGEMENT STRATEGY PLAN AS WE'RE PUTTING THAT TOGETHER, I THINK THAT THAT ALSO NEEDS TO BE AN IMPORTANT ASPECT THAT WE ARE HAVING THESE WEATHER PATTERNS THAT AREN'T FOLLOWING HISTORICAL DATA.
YEAH, IF I CAN JUST RESPOND TO THAT REAL QUICKLY.
YOU KNOW, WHEN WE THINK ABOUT MILLENNIA OF INDIGENOUS STEWARDSHIP IN THIS LANDSCAPE, WE'VE GONE THROUGH THE LITTLE ICE AGE.
WE'VE GONE THROUGH EXTREME DROUGHTS AND, YOU KNOW, LIKE THE GAMUT OF.
DIFFERENT EXPERIENCES, AND WE'VE ALWAYS BEEN ABLE TO ADAPT OUR PRACTICES TO THE CONDITIONS OF THE TIME.
AND SOMETIMES THAT MEANS THAT WE'RE NOT BURNING AS MUCH.
SOMETIMES IT MEANS WE'RE BURNING A HECK OF A LOT MORE.
BUT THE THING THAT'S OUT OF BALANCE RIGHT NOW IS THAT WE HAVEN'T BEEN APPLYING ANY FIRE.
AND SO THERE'S A DEFICIT THAT EXISTS WITHIN THE LANDSCAPE THAT'S REALLY CONTRIBUTING TO THE PROBLEM.
AND EVEN TODAY, LIKE NONE OF THOSE EXAMPLES THAT I SHARED WITH YOU WERE SITUATIONS WHERE WE WALKED BACK INTO PLACES WHERE FIRE HAD JUST BEEN ACTIVELY PRACTICED.
YOU KNOW, LIKE WE WERE ACTUALLY...
PUTTING FIRE BACK IN IT AS A FIRST ENTRY INTO MANY OF THESE PLACES WITHOUT HAVING TO DO A HUGE AMOUNT OF OTHER PREP WORK, SAW WORK, THINGS LIKE THAT.
YOU KNOW, FIRE WAS THE ACTUAL PROCESS IN WHICH WE WERE ABLE TO DO IT.
AND THEY'VE BEEN PRETTY RESPONSIVE.
SO YEAH, THANKS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.
I JUST, YOU KNOW, I'D LOVE TO GET A COPY IN YOUR PRESENTATION OF THE GOOD FIRE BOOK.
I THINK WE MIGHT ALL BENEFIT FROM GETTING A COPY OF THAT.
I DO HAVE KIND OF ANOTHER FOLLOW-UP QUESTION.
I WAS INTERESTED, WELL, TWO THINGS.
COMING UP ON OUR NEXT AGENDA, CUTTING DOWN REDWOOD TREES IS PROBABLY NO MORE WELCOME AND EXCITING TO THE PUBLIC THAN ALSO LIGHTING A FIRE NEAR THEIR HOUSE.
I JUST IMAGINE THERE'S GOING TO HAVE TO BE A TON OF EDUCATION, AND STARTING NOW IS BETTER EARLY AND OFTEN.
I THINK THE SHOW IS STILL AT OAKLAND, GETTING PEOPLE USED TO THIS IDEA AND STARTING NOW.
I IMAGINE YOU'VE GONE THROUGH THAT SO MUCH.
I JUST WOULD LOVE TO START THAT PROCESS EARLY AND OFTEN.
AND I'M CURIOUS ALSO WITH OTHER ON THE AGENDA, IF YOU COMBINE THIS WITH CUTS OF TREES, ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS I'VE SEEN IN MY EXPERIENCE IN MORAGA, LITERALLY WEEKS AND SOMETIMES MONTHS LATER, ALL THE POISON OAK COMES FLYING BACK OUT.
NOW EVERYONE'S SAYING, WELL, WE'VE GOT TO SPRAY, WE'VE GOT TO SPRAY WHEN WE'RE DONE OUR CUTS.
I'M CURIOUS HOW THIS GOOD BURN EITHER LIMITS, YOU SAY IT COMES BACK ALL NATIVE, LIKE DO YOU SEE LESS POISON OAK, BUT ALSO IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY THERE FOR LESS PESTICIDE SPRAYING AFTER WE COME THROUGH, OR IS THIS SUCH A MORE OF A SACRED THING THAT YOU WOULDN'T REALLY COMBINE THE TWO BECAUSE THAT SEEMS SORT OF CONTRARY TO EACH OTHER? AM I ASKING THE QUESTION THE
[00:50:01]
RIGHT WAY? ARE YOU FOLLOWING MY...CAN IT BE DONE IN COMBINATION? YEAH, I THINK I FOLLOW WHAT YOU'RE GETTING TO.
I MEAN, AS A TRADITIONAL PLANT USER, I TEND TO AVOID USING HERBICIDES.
I RECOGNIZE THAT THERE'S A TIME AND PLACE FOR IT, PARTICULARLY FOR THINGS THAT DON'T RESPOND WELL TO FIRE AND OTHER TYPES OF TREATMENT.
BUT THAT BEING SAID, WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THE LONG TERM IMPACTS, YOU KNOW, THERE'S RESEARCH THAT DOES INDICATE THAT, YOU KNOW, LIKE THERE CAN BE LEGACY RESIDUAL RESPONSES.
AND SO WE, WE TRY TO AVOID IT IN A LOT OF THE SPACES THAT I WORK.
BUT THAT BEING SAID, YOU KNOW, LIKE IF WE'RE THINKING, FOR EXAMPLE, OF POISON OAK, YOU KNOW, AT MY, AT MY HOUSE WHERE I LIVE, LIKE WE'VE GOT POISON OAK HERE.
I DON'T, I BURN FREQUENTLY ENOUGH THAT IT REALLY KEEPS IT AT BAY.
SO FOR INSTANCE, LAST MONDAY I WENT OUT AND BURNED AROUND MY HOUSE AND YOU KNOW, LIKE THERE'S SOME POISON OAK PATCHES THAT WERE THERE, BUT NOW THEY'RE SET BACK FOR THE SEASON.
THEY WON'T BE ANY TALLER THAN MY ANKLE BY THE MIDDLE PART OF THE SUMMER.
AND IT'S MORE OF KEEPING IT UNDER CONTROL, NOT ERADICATING IT.
SO, I MEAN, THAT'S REALLY, I THINK, THE MAIN THING IS TO REALLY THINK ABOUT THE OBJECTIVES IN WHICH, NOT TO SAY THE WORD TOOL, BUT REALLY THE IDEA OF TOOL IS KIND OF WHICH TOOL DO YOU WANT TO USE THAT'S GOING TO HELP YOU TO ACHIEVE THE OUTCOME THAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR BEST.
BUT WOULD YOU ACTUALLY COME IN AND BURN AFTER IT? A EUCALYPTUS THINNING AND BURN, WOULD YOU DO THE TWO TOGETHER? I MEAN, HAVE YOU GOT PILOT WHERE YOU WOULD DO THAT TYPE OF THING? YEAH, I MEAN, I DIDN'T MENTION THIS AND IT WASN'T IN THE INTRODUCTION, BUT I ALSO WORK IN AUSTRALIA TOO WITH INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES ON FIRE.
AND LIKE MANY OF THEM ARE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE FACT THAT WE'VE GOT, WHAT, 23 OR MORE SPECIES OF EUCALYPTS THAT ARE GROWING IN NORTH AMERICA OR IN CALIFORNIA ALONE.
AND THEY CAN BE OBVIOUSLY QUITE PROBLEMATIC FOR FIRE SPREAD AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, IN THEIR OWN LANDSCAPES, LIKE THEY'RE ALSO FIRE MAINTAINED, SIMILAR TO THE WAY THAT OUR OAKS ARE AND OUR REDWOODS AS WELL.
YOU KNOW, SO I THINK OFTENTIMES ABOUT LIKE LOSING THE SAME KINDS OF PROCESSES AND TOOLS FOR THEIR STEWARDSHIP COULD BE A BENEFIT.
I MEAN, IF WE'RE NOT LOOKING TO REMOVE ALL EUCALYPTS, LIKE HOW DO WE BETTER STEWARD THE EUCALYPT GROVES THAT WE DO WANT WITH THE KIND OF FIRE THAT IS NEEDED TO MAINTAIN THEM IN A WAY THAT'S NOT.
A RISK TO OUR COMMUNITIES IS ALSO ANOTHER THING THAT'S ALSO IMPORTANT.
WELL, JUST SIMPLY FASCINATING.
I LOVE SORT OF THE SACRED SCIENCE OF IT.
I'M ACTUALLY AN HERBALIST AND A PLANT USER AND A GATHERER MYSELF.
I WORKED CLOSELY WITH THE WASHOE TRIBE UP IN THE LAKE TAHOE AREA AND DONE SOME GOOD BURNS, GOOD WORK, GOOD FIRE.
AND I THANK YOU FOR JOINING US HERE TODAY.
WE'VE GOT A COUPLE OTHER AGENDA ITEMS THAT KIND OF DOVETAIL, I THINK, NICELY INTO THIS.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, DON.
SO OUR NEXT AGENDA ITEM IS MEASURING UP REDWOOD FOREST INVENTORY AND MANAGEMENT PLAN.
SO, YEAH, AS THEY'RE GETTING THE PRESENTATION SLIDES UP, I'LL PROVIDE A BRIEF INTRODUCTION.
SO MATT GRAWL, ACTING AGM FOR ACQUISITION STEWARDSHIP AND PLANNING.
SO THIS IS AN EXCITING PROJECT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON.
COUPLE YEARS NOW, BUT THIS WAS ALSO JUST AS CONTEXT.
THIS WAS FUNDED IN MEASURE FF.
IN MEASURE FF, ONE OF THE LINE ITEMS WAS TO DEVELOP A REDWOOD MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE AREAS OF REDWOOD REGIONAL PARK AND ALSO ROBERTS REGIONAL PARK AND THOSE AREAS, AND ALSO PARTS OF ANTHONY CHABOT.
AND SO WE, IN ORDER TO DEVELOP A MANAGEMENT PLAN, WE NEED TO FIRST DO A FOREST INVENTORY.
BROOK VINTAGE, THIS IS VERY MUCH A TEAM EFFORT OF PUTTING THIS TOGETHER.
AND SO BROOK VINTAGE HAS REALLY BEEN MANAGING THE PROJECT FROM THE STEWARDSHIP SIDE, BUT IT'S ALSO HAD GREAT INPUT FROM THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, AND JAVON LAW IS IN THE AUDIENCE, AND ALSO MATT MCDONALD IS HERE FROM OPERATIONS.
SO IT'S REALLY BEEN A TEAM EFFORT BETWEEN STEWARDSHIP, FIRE, AND OPERATIONS TO DO THIS INVENTORY AND TO ENDEAVOR TO DEVELOP A MANAGEMENT PLAN.
AND SO WE HAVE REPRESENTATIVES FROM ALL THOSE GROUPS THAT CAN BE PART OF THE DISCUSSION AND THE QUESTIONS.
AND BROOKE IS GOING TO INTRODUCE JACOB, OUR CONSULTANT WHO CONDUCTED THE INVENTORY, AND JUST GET US STARTED ON THE PRESENTATION.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE.
I'M BROOKE VINTAGE, ECOLOGICAL SERVICES COORDINATOR IN THE STEWARDSHIP DEPARTMENT.
AND I AM PLEASED TO INTRODUCE JACOB HARROWER.
HE IS THE OWNER OF FRONTIER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT LLC.
HE'S A REGISTERED PROFESSIONAL FORESTER.
I DO NOT HAVE ANY MORE OF YOUR PEDIGREE.
I THINK HE WENT TO UC BERKELEY.
AND JACOB WAS CONTRACTED IN 2025, AS MATT MENTIONED, TO DO THIS REDWOOD INVENTORY BASELINE STUDY OF 700 ACRES OF OUR REDWOOD FORESTS IN THREE PARKS IN REDWOOD,
[00:55:02]
ROBERTS, AND ANTHONY CHABOT.AND TODAY HE'S GOING TO PRESENT HIS FINDINGS, AND THEN I WANT YOU ALL TO THINK ABOUT THE NEXT STEP, WHICH IS DEVELOPING A MANAGEMENT PLAN.
AND THAT'S A REALLY EXCITING NEXT STEP THAT WE'LL BE TAKING THIS YEAR, AND HOPEFULLY THE PLAN THAT WE DEVELOP WILL HAVE THE NUMBER ONE GOAL OF IMPROVING THE FOREST HEALTH.
SO WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO LET JACOB TAKE IT AWAY.
IS THIS GOOD? SO, YEAH, AS BROOKE MENTIONED, FORESTRY CONSULTANT, I'M AN RPF, AND I DID GO TO SCHOOL AT BERKELEY.
YOU KNOW, I'VE SPENT MY LIFE IN THE WOODS, WORKING IN THE WOODS, STUDYING THE FOREST, DIFFERENT ECOSYSTEMS. MY CONSULTING FIRM, WE MANAGE AROUND 50,000 ACRES FOR DIFFERENT CLIENTS, SOME CLIENTS LIKE YOURSELVES, REGIONAL PARKS.
WE WORK IN THREE TO FOUR DIFFERENT COUNTIES AT A TIME.
REDWOODS, OAK WOODLANDS, MIXED CONIFER, GRASSLANDS IN SOME CASES FOR RANGELAND RESOURCES, SOME CHAPARRAL AS WELL.
BUT MY EXPERTISE IS REALLY IN REDWOOD FORESTS.
THAT'S WHERE I SPEND MOST OF MY TIME, MOST OF MY WORK.
AND SO, YEAH, YOU KNOW, THAT LAST PRESENTATION WAS GREAT, AND I KIND OF WANT TO TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT, BECAUSE ONE OF THE MAIN THINGS WE DO IS WE HELP LANDOWNERS AND LAND MANAGERS MANAGE LAND THAT IS WAY OUT OF PRESCRIPTION.
SO WHEN YOU CAN'T JUST GO IN AND DROP FIRE ON THE GROUND BECAUSE THERE'S TOO MUCH FUEL, THERE'S TREES ARE TOO DENSE, RIGHT, IT'S BEEN TOO LONG.
WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IS YOU WOULD HAVE A MUCH LESS DENSE FOREST AND BIGGER TREES OVER TIME.
WHAT HAPPENS IS WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE THAT IN THERE, THEY'RE ABLE TO, SMALL SAPLINGS ARE ABLE TO GROW QUICKER, THEY'RE ABLE TO START COMPETING WITH EACH OTHER, AND THEN YOU HAVE REALLY SLOW GROWTH AND YOU END UP WITH A LOT OF TREES PACKED INTO ONE SPACE.
SO I THINK, LET'S SEE, I CAN START RUNNING THIS SLIDE HERE.
DOES IT TAKE A LITTLE BIT? SO YEAH, YOU KNOW, JAVON AND BROOKE WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN GETTING THIS INVENTORY GOING AND HELPING IDENTIFY THE GOALS.
OKAY, SO YOU GUYS CAN SEE THAT NOW, ALL RIGHT? NO, YOU'RE GOOD.
SO I JUST DO AN ARROW NOW? YES.
SO, YEAH, THIS MAP KIND OF GIVES AN OUTLINE OF, IF YOU ZOOM IN PROGRESSIVELY, OF THE REDWOOD REGION HERE IN THE EAST BAY, AND IT'S ACTUALLY GENETICALLY REALLY UNIQUE BECAUSE THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST FAR EASTERN REDWOOD STANDS IN CALIFORNIA, YOU KNOW, SO IT'S ON THE EASTERN EDGE OF THEIR RANGE HERE.
SO I'M GOING TO GO INTO THE INVENTORY DESIGN AND SOME OF THE TECHNICAL ASPECTS, BUT I'M GOING TO TRY TO GO FASTER THIS BECAUSE IT'S REAL TECHNICAL AND I DON'T WANT TO BORE YOU GUYS WITH THAT.
BUT WHAT WE WHAT WE DID HERE IS WE GATHERED DATA ON THE THE STANDS IN ORDER TO IN ORDER TO PUT FORWARD A FOREST MANAGEMENT PLAN EVENTUALLY.
THAT THAT IS THE GOAL AND SO HAVING A REALLY STRONG UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT'S THERE IN YOUR FOREST IS KEY.
SO ALL OF THESE DOTS ON THE MAP HERE ARE INDIVIDUAL PLOTS THAT ARE RANDOMLY PLACED TO REDUCE BIAS.
AND THEN WE GO TO THOSE PLOTS AND WE MEASURE A FIFTH ACRE WITHIN THAT PLOT.
AND THEN WE EXPAND THAT ACROSS THE FOREST TO GET A SCIENTIFIC UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT IS GOING ON THERE.
SO WE CAME UP WITH EIGHT UNIQUE FOREST STANDS WITHIN THIS...
NOW A STAND IS A UNIQUE FOREST TYPE THAT WE GROUP BY SPECIES, SPECIES TYPE, DIAMETER, HEIGHT, DENSITY.
SO WE USE THIS TO GROUP OUR STANDS TOGETHER AND IT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT PART OF MANAGEMENT BECAUSE YOU CAN SAY OKAY I GOT EIGHT DIFFERENT STATUSES OF THIS FOREST THAT NEED THEY ALL NEED DIFFERENT MANAGEMENT ASPECTS.
YOU CAN'T JUST APPLY THE SAME THING TO EACH ONE.
THEY'RE VERY UNIQUE TO EACH OTHER.
SO WE USE THAT TO SPLIT EVERYTHING UP.
AND THEN WE SURVEYED EACH OF THESE EXTENSIVELY TO GET THIS DATA.
HERE'S KIND OF A CLOSE-UP OF ONE OF THE STANDS HERE IN REINHARDT AND THE DIFFERENT STANDS THAT ARE GOING ON HERE.
[01:00:02]
HERE, AND THEY'RE COLOR-CODED TO SHOW THAT ON THE MAP.EACH OF THESE HAVE DIFFERENT DENSITIES OF REDWOOD.
IT'S PROBABLY GOT THE TALLEST TREES.
IT'S GOT THE BEST SITE, SO IT GROWS THE FASTEST, BEST SOIL IN THERE.
A LOT OF THIS HAS TO DO WITH SOIL.
SO THAT'S WHAT CAUSES THESE DIFFERENT STANDS BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN TREATED DIFFERENTLY.
AND WHEN I TALK ABOUT HISTORICAL I'M TALKING ABOUT THE PAST 200 YEARS MAINLY BECAUSE THAT'S THE AGE CLASS OF TREES WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
THE OLDEST TREES OUT THERE IN THIS STAND GENERALLY ARE 180 YEARS OLD.
SO THAT'S KIND OF A MARKER, A BENCHMARK THAT WE USE TO LOOK AT WHAT'S HAPPENED.
WE'LL GET MORE INTO THAT IN A LITTLE BIT.
CAN I ASK YOU A FAVOR? CAN YOU HELP DEFINE ACRONYMS FOR ME? SURE, OF COURSE.
WHICH ONE? RDMU MANAGEMENT UNIT.
SO THAT WAS THE REINHARDT MANAGEMENT UNIT.
THAT'S WHAT YOU CALLED IT, OKAY.
YEAH, SO THEY'RE ALL BROKEN UP BY THESE ACRONYMS. THERE'S GOING TO BE A TON OF ACRONYMS. THERE ARE.
SO I'M ASKING YOU NOW TO HELP ME OUT.
YEAH, JUST LET ME KNOW, AND I'LL SAY THAT.
SO HERE'S, YOU KNOW, COLLECTING DATA.
WE'RE LOOKING AT THE HEIGHT, THE DIAMETER OF TREES.
WE LOOK AT REGENERATION INFORMATION, LIKE WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE UNDERSTORY, WHAT KIND OF SPECIES DO WE HAVE COMING IN.
WE LOOK AT WILDFIRE FUEL LOAD ASSESSMENT.
SO WE DID AN ASSESSMENT OF THE WHOLE STUDY AREA AND LOOKING AT WHERE THE WILDFIRE POTENTIAL IS THE WORST, WHERE'S THE MOST FUEL, THE GREATEST FUEL LOADS, AS WELL AS WHAT THE TYPES OF FUELS ARE.
SO ONE HOUR, 10 HOUR, UP TO 100-HOUR FUEL.
AND HOW IT RESPONDS TO THE WEATHER AND TO FIRE.
WE LOOKED AT SNAGS, BIOLOGICAL HABITAT.
WE DID A TREE RING ANALYSIS OUT THERE WHERE WE LOOK AT HISTORICAL INFORMATION.
WE TAKE A CORE OUT OF THE TREE, AND THEN WE LOOK AT HOW QUICKLY THEY'RE GROWING, AND IT TELLS US A LOT ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED IN THAT STAND'S HISTORY.
SO MAYBE IT SHOWS WHERE GROWTH REALLY SLOWS, AND THAT INDICATES THAT.
THERE'S A LOT OF COMPETITION AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU SEE A LOT OF GROWTH AND THAT CAN INDICATE THAT THERE WAS SOME SORT OF EVENT THAT CAUSED A DISTURBANCE AND REMOVED SOME TREES.
THAT COULD BE A FIRE, THAT COULD BE ALL SORTS OF THINGS, BUT IT ALSO HAS TO DO WITH DROUGHT VERSUS NON-DROUGHT YEARS.
AND THEN WE LOOKED AT THE PERCENT LIVE CROWN AND THAT SPECIFICALLY THAT TELLS US THE ENGINE OF THE TREE LIKE THE GROWING ENGINE OF THE TREE SO WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE OVER 40% TYPICALLY OF A LIVE CROWN MORE IS BETTER THOUGH AND AS STANDS AGE THEY START TO GET REDUCED CROWN SIZES AND THAT TELLS YOU A LOT ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON.
SO YEAH THE RESULTS HERE THAT WE'RE GENERALLY WE'RE SEEING A VERY UNIQUE GENETIC STAND.
LIKE I MENTIONED, THIS FAR EAST IS VERY DIFFERENT THAN OTHER REDWOOD FOREST TYPES THAT I SEE ON THE COAST.
THE MAIN ISSUE THAT I SEE IS OVERSTOCKED CONDITIONS, TOO MANY TREES PER ACRE COMPETING WITH EACH OTHER.
SO YOU'RE SEEING A LOT OF REDUCED GROWTH.
AND THEN THE GREATEST THREAT THAT I SEE IS A CROWN FIRE OCCURRING, AND THAT WOULD JUST BE CATASTROPHIC.
WE DID A BOTANY SURVEY, SO THIS IS PROTOCOL LEVEL, CDFW BOTANY SURVEY, WHERE WE DO THREE FLORISTIC SURVEYS, LOOKING FOR SPECIFIC LISTED SPECIES, AS WELL AS WE DID AN INVASIVE PLANT SPECIES SURVEY AT EACH OF THOSE SEASONS, AND WE DOCUMENTED THAT IN THE REPORT AS WELL.
SO THOSE AREAS ARE GREATLY DOCUMENTED.
THE INVASIVE PLANT SPECIES SURVEY WAS REALLY IMPORTANT.
THAT SHOWS THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF INVASIVE SPECIES THROUGHOUT, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE KEY, I THINK IN THE MANAGEMENT PLAN, THAT SHOULD BE ONE OF THE KEY FOCUSES IS TRYING TO GET A HANDLE ON THAT.
AS WELL AS, YOU KNOW, THE LISTED SPECIES, THE PRESIDIO CLARKIA, WE FOUND SOME MORE OF THAT.
I THINK A POPULATION THAT WASN'T, THAT WAS NOT DOCUMENTED BEFORE.
SO GETTING BACK TO THESE FOREST CONCERNS, YOU CAN SEE IN THIS PICTURE IT REALLY SHOWS WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
THESE TREES IN THIS RING, THEY GREW AROUND AN OLD GROWTH STUMP THAT WAS CUT OVER 150 YEARS AGO PROBABLY.
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT THEY'RE REALLY, THEY'RE SOCKED IN.
AND THE CROWNS ARE REALLY ONLY GROWING ON ONE SIDE OF THE TREE.
THAT'S ONE OF THE MAIN THINGS TO SEE THERE IS THAT THEY'RE NOT GROWING ON THE INSIDE BECAUSE THEY CAN'T.
BECAUSE THEY'RE COMPETING WITH EACH OTHER.
THE HIGH FUEL LOADING, SO THE MAIN THING WE SAW IS THAT THE LOW DENSITY AND THE MODERATE
[01:05:01]
DENSITY STANDS HAVE THE GREATEST FUEL LOADING, WHICH IS WHAT I'D EXPECT BECAUSE YOU HAVE LESS OVERSTORY.SO YOU ACTUALLY HAVE A LOT OF UNDERSTORY GREW IN THERE, AND THERE'S A TON OF DEAD AND DOWN FUEL THAT'S BUILT UP.
I'M JUST GOING TO GET A COUPLE OF THESE GRAPHS HERE JUST TO SHOW.
SO THIS IS A YOU CAN SEE MORE OF THIS IN THE REPORT.
THIS JUST KIND OF GIVES YOU A SNAPSHOT.
THIS IS STOCKING BY TREES PER ACRE BY DIAMETER CLASS.
SO YOU COULD SEE THAT IN THIS STAND, AND THIS IS IN THE REINHARDT MANAGEMENT UNIT, MOST OF THE TREES ARE IN THAT 18 TO 34 INCH DIAMETER CLASS.
AND I KNOW 34 INCHES SEEMS LIKE BIG, BUT IT'S REALLY NOT IN COMPARISON TO WHAT'S OUT THERE.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF 66 INCH, 70 INCH TREES OUT THERE.
AND TYPICALLY WHAT I'D LIKE TO SEE WITH A STAND OF THIS AGE IS TO SEE THAT CURVE SHIFTED A LITTLE BIT TO THE RIGHT.
LESS OF THOSE SMALLER TREES AND THEN YOU ALLOW MORE OF THOSE BIGGER TREES TO COME IN.
THIS ALSO, THIS IS THE UNDERSTORY.
THIS IS TREES UNDER 10 INCHES IN DIAMETER.
SO IT SHOWS, YOU KNOW, A LOT, REALLY A LOT, WAY MORE THAN WHAT I WOULD PRESCRIBE.
SO 550 TREES PER ACRE OF THE REDWOOD AND 500 OF THE BAY LAUREL.
SO WE DEFINITELY, I THINK IT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO REDUCE THOSE QUITE A BIT.
BECAUSE THAT REALLY LENDS ITSELF TO THE FUEL LOAD AND THE WHAT WE CALL LADDER FUELS, WHAT CARRIES THE FIRE FROM THE GROUND UP INTO THE CANOPY OF THE TREE.
AND IF YOU'RE GOING TO USE PRESCRIBED FIRE IN PARTICULAR, YOU DEFINITELY WANT TO GET A HANDLE ON THAT BEFORE YOU START.
BUT EITHER WAY, I MEAN, WELL, WE CAN GET INTO THAT MORE IN A MINUTE.
SO THIS KIND OF SHOWS THE CROWN RATIOS THAT WE SAW.
AND YOU CAN SEE THE MAIN THING TO TAKE AWAY FROM HERE IS THAT MOST OF THE CROWNS ARE UNDER 50% CROWN RATIO.
AND THEN A LARGE PERCENTAGE ARE UNDER 40.
AND THERE'S QUITE A FEW UNDER 30.
SO THOSE UNDER 30 ARE THE ONES THAT ARE REALLY STARTING TO DEGRADE AND SHOW LIKE HEALTH ISSUES WHEN YOU GET UNDER 30% CROWN.
SO I'VE GOT A COUPLE PICTURES HERE.
THIS ONE IS NOT THE WORST OVERSTOCK, BUT YOU CAN SEE WHERE THERE'S, HOW CLOSE SOME OF THESE TREES ARE TOGETHER.
IT REALLY LIMITS THEIR GROWTH POTENTIAL.
YOU CAN SEE IN THE BACKGROUND OF THIS YOU HAVE A COUPLE REDWOODS THAT ARE LESS THAN A FOOT APART.
IF YOU WERE TO TURN THAT INTO ONE REDWOOD, IT WOULD EXPAND ITS GROWTH BY, I MEAN IT WOULD INCREASE 100% IN GROWTH.
YOUR GROWTH RING WOULD MORE THAN DOUBLE.
AND THAT GROWTH RING, IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE LATE WOOD AND EARLY WOOD.
AND THAT'S WHAT EVERY YEAR YOU GET ONE GROWTH RING.
SO THAT'S HOW WE AGE THESE TREES.
ANOTHER PICTURE OF THAT PRETTY DENSE SPOT RIGHT THERE.
SO FUEL LOAD ANALYSIS, THIS WAS THE RESULTS OF THAT.
AND SO YOU CAN SEE THAT WHERE THESE AREAS ARE.
SO THIS IS REALLY USEFUL FOR TARGETING AREAS TO TREAT WHEN YOU DO WANT TO GO INTO THE STAND.
YOU CAN PRIORITIZE AND FOCUS ON THOSE AREAS SO THAT WE'RE NOT JUST WASTING TIME ON THE LOW AREAS THAT YOU HAVE.
YOU WANT TO GO AFTER THESE HIGHER ONES FIRST.
THAT'S THE HIGHER POTENTIAL FOR HAVING AN ISSUE, HAVING A CROWN FIRE, ONE OF THESE REALLY BAD THINGS.
I HAVE SOME PICTURES HERE, SOME EXAMPLES OF DIFFERENT FUEL LOADS.
YOU CAN SEE, YOU KNOW, NOT A LOT OF LADDER FUELS, SOME GROUND FUEL, BUT MOST OF THE CROWNS ARE LIMBED UP TOO.
HERE'S ANOTHER MODERATE, YOU KNOW, IN THIS REINHARDT STAND.
NOT A TON OF GROUND FUEL, NOT A LOT OF CONNECTEDNESS BETWEEN THAT GROUND AND THE CROWN.
YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE PROBABLY LIKE 10 FEET, WHICH IS REALLY GOOD.
YOU KNOW YOU HAVE THESE LARGER FUELS THAT ARE DOWN ON THE GROUND, MIX THEM WITH THE ONE HOUR AND WHAT WE CALL FLASHY FUELS.
AND THEN THEY ALSO EXPAND UP INTO LADDER FUELS AND GET YOU RIGHT UP INTO THE CROWN.
HERE'S ANOTHER REALLY BAD HIGH ONE.
A LOT OF THE LADDER FUELS ARE DEAD.
SO IF YOU WEREN'T, LIKE, BURNING IN THESE TYPES OF STANDS WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, YOU'D HAVE TO DO IT RIGHT AT THE PERFECT TIME.
IT'D HAVE TO BE REALLY WET, INCOMPLETE BURN.
AND I WOULD RECOMMEND TREATING IT FIRST.
OR AT LEAST TREATING AROUND IT TO WALL IT IN.
AND THEN YOU CAN START TO GET TO WHERE YOU CAN USE FIRE AS A MAINTENANCE TOOL.
HERE'S AN EXAMPLE OF AN EXTREME.
IT'S EVEN MORE OF A WALL OF GREEN.
SO, YEAH, DEVELOPING A MANAGEMENT PLAN, YOU WANT IT TO BE HOLISTIC.
YOU WANT TO TAKE IN ALL AVENUES OF WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO.
[01:10:03]
BY HAVING THE INVENTORY, YOU HAVE THE FIRST STEPS, WHICH ARE YOU KNOW WHAT'S THERE, YOU KNOW WHERE IT'S THE WORST, WHERE YOU CAN TARGET, AND THEN YOU CAN USE THAT TO DESIGN WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO TREAT EACH YEAR AND WHAT YOUR GOALS ARE TO GET TO YOUR FINAL GOAL, WHICH IS GOING TO BE, YOU KNOW, YOU WOULD DECIDE ON WHAT THAT IS, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE IT WOULD BE USING FIRE AS A MAINTENANCE TOOL.AND FOREST HEALTH AS THE MAIN DRIVER THERE.
SO IT CONNECTS THE DOTS TO GET YOU TO THAT POINT.
AND THIS PICTURE HERE KIND OF DEMONSTRATES USING TREE RING ANALYSIS TO LOOK AT DIFFERENT THINGS.
YOU CAN SEE WHERE THERE WAS LIKE A SCAR ON THE TREE THAT LOOKS LIKE A FIRE SCAR.
YOU CAN SEE ANOTHER ONE THAT, YOU KNOW, IS LINEAR.
AND ALL OF THESE MEAN DIFFERENT THINGS, BUT YOU CAN SEE THE DIFFERENT FIRE SCARS ON THIS OLD GROWTH RING.
THAT INDICATE THERE WAS A FIRE EVERY 50 TO 100 YEARS IN THIS STAND.
SO THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF A FOREST.
THIS WAS A CATASTROPHE IN OREGON AND WASHINGTON.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU REMEMBER THIS, BUT IT WAS A BEETLE INFESTATION THAT TOOK OUT 1.2 MILLION ACRES.
AND THIS, IT JUST GOT OUT OF HAND.
YOU DON'T REALLY, IN THE REDWOOD, THEY'RE LESS SUSCEPTIBLE TO STUFF LIKE THIS, AND THAT'S THE GOOD NEWS ABOUT THAT.
BUT IN SOME OF THE OTHER FOREST TYPES, YOU KNOW, THIS IS SOMETHING TO BE OF CONCERN.
IT CAN REALLY SPREAD THROUGH LIKE CRAZY.
AND THEN ONCE IT'S THERE, IT'S REALLY HARD TO DEAL WITH.
AND SO THE GOAL IS TO PREVENT THAT AND START TO APPROACH SOME OF THESE MORE SPACED OUT STANDS WHERE TREES ARE HEALTHY, THEY'RE GROWING VIGOROUSLY.
YOU KNOW, THIS IS THE ARCATA COMMUNITY FOREST, AND I THINK THEY'RE A GOOD EXAMPLE FOR YOU GUYS TO LOOK AT OF AN ORGANIZATION.
THEY'RE PUBLICLY MANAGED FORESTS, SO THEY HAVE RECREATION, BUT THEY ALSO MANAGE THEIR FORESTS INTENSIVELY.
THEY, YOU KNOW, THEY CLOSE DOWN CERTAIN SECTIONS WHILE THEY ARE REMOVING TREES AND WHILE THEY ARE DOING THESE RESTORATION TREATMENTS.
THEY ALSO HAVE A FOREST MANAGEMENT PLAN.
AND, YEAH, I THINK IT'S A GREAT THING TO LOOK INTO.
HERE'S AN EXAMPLE OF A STAND THAT WAS THINNED WITH A SELECTION AND YOU COULD SEE WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
THIS IS IMMEDIATELY AFTER A THINNING WHERE THE CROWNS ARE REALLY REDUCED.
THEY'RE SMALL BECAUSE OF THAT REDUCED GROWTH, BUT WE'VE OPENED IT UP AND NOW THERE'S ALL THESE GAPS IN THE CANOPY THAT THEY'RE GOING TO GROW INTO.
THEY'RE GOING TO RESPOND QUICKLY AND START FILLING THOSE GAPS.
THIS IS A STAND, THIS WAS AN OAK WOODLAND RESTORATION THAT WE DID A COUPLE YEARS AGO.
SO YOU CAN SEE ON THE LEFT, THIS IS THE BEFORE AND AFTER ON THE LEFT HERE, AND YOU CAN BARELY SEE THE OAK TREE.
IT'S JUST LOADED WITH THESE POLE-SIZED FIRS.
AND I MEAN, SO THE AGE OF THAT OAK TREE WAS PROBABLY 200 YEARS OLD, AND THOSE FIRS ARE ALL LIKE 20.
IF YOU LEAVE THAT UNTREATED, ALL THOSE OAKS THAT YOU COULD SEE IN THE BACKGROUND THAT YOU COULDN'T SEE IN THE BEFORE, THEY WOULD BE DEAD IN THE NEXT 20 YEARS PROBABLY.
WE CAUGHT IT AT THE PERFECT TIME.
WE WERE ABLE TO GET ALL THAT OUT.
AND THEN THIS IS THE IMMEDIATELY AFTER.
I SHOULD HAVE BROUGHT ANOTHER PICTURE IN THAT SHOWS IT NOW.
IT'S BEEN THREE YEARS SINCE THIS.
PICTURE AND THE OAKS ARE ALREADY, I MEAN, THEY'RE FLOURISHING.
WE ALSO HAVE OAKS IN THE UNDERSTORY THAT ARE COMING IN.
SO THIS IS A TREATMENT THAT WOULD APPROXIMATE FIRE.
I WOULDN'T RECOMMEND USING FIRE IN THIS ONE BECAUSE THAT MASTICATION DEBRIS, YOU WANT TO LET THAT BREAK DOWN.
IT ALSO KEEPS INVASIVE SPECIES FROM COMING IN IF YOU HAVE A GOOD MULCH LAYER LIKE THAT.
THERE ARE THINGS YOU NEED TO DO TO PREVENT ACCIDENTALLY DEPOSITING INVASIVES WHEN YOU ARE USING THIS TYPE OF TREATMENT BECAUSE YOU CAN BRING IT IN ON MACHINERY.
SO YOU HAVE A REALLY STRICT POLICY OF CLEANING BEFORE YOU MOVE IN, BEFORE YOU MOVE OUT, BEFORE YOU MOVE FROM ONE TREATMENT TO ANOTHER.
AND THAT'S ALL IN MY BMPS THAT I PUT IN MY MANAGEMENT PLANS.
SO YEAH, THOSE ARE SOME PICTURES.
AND IF ANY QUESTIONS OR ANYTHING YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS OR ASK ME ABOUT, I'M HERE TO ANSWER.
AND I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU GUYS HAVING ME HERE TO SPEAK.
TAKING THE TIME TO HEAR WHAT I HAVE TO SAY.
IT WAS A GREAT HONOR TO WORK ON THIS INVENTORY AND PROVIDE YOU GUYS WITH THIS INFORMATION.
[01:15:05]
FIRST OF ALL, GO BEARS.READ RICHARD POWERS' THE OVERSTORY? YEAH.
CAN'T WALK THROUGH A FOREST THE SAME WAY AFTER READING THAT.
RECOMMENDED READING FOR ALL OF US.
SO YOU'RE NOT JUST STUDYING REDWOODS.
HAVE YOU DONE ANY OF OUR OTHER PARKS? NO.
SO MY QUESTION IS TO MANAGEMENT.
DO WE DO SIMILAR STUDIES IN FORESTED PARKS ELSEWHERE? WE DO FIRE MANAGEMENT PLANS FOR RIVER PARK.
YEAH, WE'VE DONE A LOT OF FUEL MANAGEMENT PLANS.
I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'VE DONE AN INVENTORY OF THIS LEVEL OF DETAIL IN OTHER AREAS, BUT WE'VE DEFINITELY ASSESSED SORT OF THESE SIMILAR CONDITIONS ON A BROAD SCALE.
AND SO I THINK THERE WAS A SIMILAR LEVEL OF ANALYSIS THAT WENT INTO THE EAST BAY HILLS FUELS MANAGEMENT PLAN AREA, BUT IT WASN'T WITH THIS SAME LEVEL OF DETAIL.
I JUST IDENTIFIED THOSE HIGH PROBLEM AREAS.
AND THERE'S WHERE WE NEED TO DO THINNING.
YOU KNOW, BRIONES COMES TO MIND AS A HEAVILY FORESTED OAK LANDSCAPE AND WITH A LOT OF OVERGROWTH.
RIGHT, AND SO THAT'S WHERE WE JUST AWARDED THE CONTRACT AT THE LAST BOARD MEETING FOR THE OTTEN-TUCKMAN ASSESSMENT OF ALL OF OUR PARKS USING THE FINE-SCALE VEGEMAP DATA, ALL THE OTHER DATA THAT WILL START.
ASSESSING THIS AT A HIGHER LEVEL FROM THE DATA WE HAVE.
AND WE'VE ALSO WORKED WITH STEWARDSHIP SORT OF THE FIRE TO HELP SOME FIRE RESILIENT VEGETATION STANDARDS THAT ARE MORE STANDARDS TO APPLY TO CERTAIN FOREST STANDS TO LOOK AT MAINTAINING A GOOD BALANCE AND A GOOD NATIVE UNDERSTORY.
SO WE WILL BE, BUT USING THAT DATA AND USING ALL THE DATA WE'RE WORKING TO DEVELOP MANAGEMENT PLANS FOR DIFFERENT VEGETATION TYPES.
WHENEVER I THINK ABOUT THE SUBJECT, I THINK ABOUT THE NEED TO DO MORE MANAGEMENT AT BRIONES FROM CASUAL OBSERVATION.
I JUST SHARE THAT WHAT MATT'S SPEAKING TO IS SOME OF THE WORK THAT'S GOING TO THAT VEGETATION MANAGEMENT STRATEGY WHERE WE'RE LOOKING DISTRICT-WIDE USING THE FINE-SCALE VEG MAP AND TRYING TO HONE IN ON WHERE WE NEED TO FOCUS.
I JUST GO BACK TO LIKE THIS SPECIFIC STUDY WAS CALLED OUT IN MEASURE FF, WHICH WAS HOW MANY YEARS AGO? NINE YEARS AGO.
SO I JUST SAY LIKE NINE YEARS AGO, YOUR BOARD, AS YOU WERE DEVELOPING WHAT MEASURE FF WAS ALL ABOUT, YOU CREATED THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE THIS DEEPER DIVE INTO THE SPACE BECAUSE IT'S SO IMPORTANT.
THIS REDWOOD GROVE OR STANDS ARE LIKE REALLY UNIQUE.
YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF REALLY UNIQUE THINGS WITHIN THE DISTRICT, AND THAT'S SORT OF ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE...
WELL, THAT'S EXPLAINING THE FOCUS HERE.
VERY MUCH, AND THANK YOU FOR REMINDING ME OF THAT.
YEAH, AND I COULD ADD TO THAT, TOO.
I MEAN, WHEN YOU LOOK AT FROM, YOU KNOW, 30,000 FEET, ALL THE PROPERTIES, AND THEN GET A QUICK UNDERSTANDING BASED ON THE DATA YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, WHAT SOME PROBLEMS MIGHT BE, THAT'S A GREAT WAY TO START.
FROM THAT, YOU CAN IDENTIFY AREAS WHERE YOU MIGHT WANT TO DIG DEEPER, AND WE CAN PROVIDE THAT KIND OF ANALYSIS.
YOU KNOW, I MEAN, AND YOU CAN DESIGN AN INVENTORY ANY WAY YOU DESIRE.
I MEAN, IT'S REALLY WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO GET OUT OF IT? WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO FIND OUT? WHAT ARE THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU NEED THE ANSWER TO? AND THEN THAT'S WHAT THE INVENTORY PROVIDES.
SO THIS ONE IN PARTICULAR, IT WAS TO...
SPEAK TO A POTENTIAL MANAGEMENT PLAN AND MANAGEMENT OF THE REDWOOD FOREST IN PARTICULAR AND THE REDWOOD STANDS REDWOOD TREES YEAH THIS IS REALLY INFORMATIVE THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US TODAY AND SHARING YOUR WORK YOU KNOW I I THINK BACK TO MY EARLY DAYS ON OUR PARK ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND IT WAS EITHER IN 2015 OR 2016, WE HAD A PARK ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING AT TILDEN EEC WHERE WE WERE TALKING ABOUT EFFORTS TO REDUCE SOME OF THE EUCALYPTUS STANDS IN THE OAKLAND HILLS.
AND WE HAD A VERY LARGE NUMBER OF MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO
[01:20:02]
ATTENDED THAT MEETING WHO PROVIDED PUBLIC COMMENT AGAINST THE IDEA OF REMOVING EUCALYPTUS TREES.IN THE OAKLAND HILLS, AND IT WAS A VERY EYE-OPENING EXPERIENCE TO HEAR THAT AND THE ARGUMENTS AGAINST THAT EFFORT.
AND I'M STRUCK BY, YOU KNOW, 2017 IS WHEN WE HAD A LOT OF OUR MOST DEVASTATING AND LARGE WILDFIRES IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, WHERE THE SMOKE WAS SO BAD HERE IN THE BAY AREA THAT WE STARTED TO REALIZE WE NEEDED TO...
THINK ABOUT VEGETATION MANAGEMENT.
WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT FOREST MANAGEMENT IN A VERY DIFFERENT WAY.
AND ONLY A YEAR EARLIER WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT TRYING TO MANAGE SOME OF THE EUCALYPTUS TREES AND WE HAD THE MEETING AT TILDEN EEC, WE HAD SO MANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC COME OUT AND SPEAK AGAINST THAT.
AND I THINK SINCE WE'VE HAD THESE MAJOR WILDFIRES SINCE 2017, WHICH I BELIEVE IS AROUND THE TIME MEASURE FF WAS ALSO WRITTEN AND THAT THIS STUDY WAS PUT INTO MEASURE FF, I HAVEN'T SEEN THAT LEVEL OF PUBLIC COMMENT AGAINST THIS TYPE OF PRACTICE.
AND SO I THINK IT'S VERY WISE OF US TO BE STUDYING THE LANDS THAT WE MANAGE AND TO BE HAVING THESE INVENTORIES SO THAT WE CAN MAKE EDUCATED DECISIONS IN REGARDS TO BEING PREPARED AND ALSO TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR LANDS ARE HEALTHY.
I WILL, HOWEVER, SHARE, YOU KNOW, THE OTHER THING THAT I HAVE ENCOUNTERED OVER THE PAST NINE YEARS, WE'LL SAY, IS A LOT OF PEOPLE REALLY DO FEEL THAT ATTACHMENT TO TREES, ESPECIALLY REDWOOD TREES.
SOME PEOPLE STILL FEEL ATTACHMENTS TO EUCALYPTUS TREES.
AND SO I THINK WE WANT TO KEEP THAT IN MIND, YOU KNOW, AS WE CONTINUE TO CONSIDER PUTTING TOGETHER A FOREST MANAGEMENT PLAN.
AND OUR VEGETATION MANAGEMENT STRATEGY.
THAT SAID, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS TYPE OF WORK.
THE OTHER POINT THAT I WANTED TO BRING UP, AND I'M CURIOUS IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THIS, ACTUALLY, A LOT OF US WERE AT THE CALIFORNIA TRAILS AND GREENWAYS CONFERENCE ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO IN SAN RAMON AND ATTENDED THE NATIVE ALLYSHIP CONFERENCE MEETING WHERE THERE WAS A...
PHOTO COMPARISON OF YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK.
ONE PHOTO ON THE LEFT WAS FROM 1874, AND THEN THE OTHER PHOTO ON THE RIGHT WAS MORE RECENT.
AND WHAT WAS SO EYE-OPENING ABOUT THAT PHOTO COMPARISON WAS IN 1874, YOU DIDN'T HAVE A LOT OF TALL TREES THAT WERE DENSELY POPULATED IN YOSEMITE VALLEY, WHEREAS ON THE RIGHT, YOU HAD A LOT MORE OF THOSE TALLER TREES THAT WERE DENSELY POPULATED.
THE COMMENT OR THE THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE SPEAKER WAS THAT, YOU KNOW, WITH MORE OF THE INDIGENOUS PRACTICES AND VIEWS OF NATURE, THERE WAS, YOU KNOW, THE THOUGHT THAT IN YOSEMITE VALLEY, THEY DIDN'T WANT TO HAVE SUCH TALL TREES SO DENSELY POPULATED AND THAT THAT WASN'T ACTUALLY HEALTHY FROM AN INDIGENOUS PERSPECTIVE OF YOSEMITE VALLEY.
AND THAT IT WAS A MORE OF A EUROPEAN PERSPECTIVE TO WANT TO, YOU KNOW, HAVE THESE TALL TREES AND NOT MANAGE THE FOREST.
AND THAT CAN POTENTIALLY LEAD TO WILDFIRE RISK.
SO I'M JUST CURIOUS IF YOU'RE KIND OF FAMILIAR WITH THIS COMPARISON OF HOW MAYBE A MORE EUROPEAN FOCUS IS THAT WE WANT TO HAVE THESE TALLER TREES AND NOT DISTURB THE FOREST.
BUT MAYBE WE MIGHT WANT TO START THINKING ABOUT SOME MORE OF THESE INDIGENOUS PRACTICES IN THIS COMPARISON THAT WE SAW AT THE CONFERENCE OF YOSEMITE VALLEY.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, YOU SEE IT ACROSS THE BOARD, TOO, WHEN YOU LOOK AT ANY AREA AND YOU LOOK AT PHOTOS FROM THE PAST VERSUS NOW.
THE GENERAL THING IS THAT WAY MORE TREES NOW, WAY MORE.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I AM ALWAYS SAYING IS, YOU KNOW, MORE TREES DOES NOT MEAN A HEALTHIER FOREST.
THAT'S NOT, IT DOESN'T GO HAND IN HAND.
IT'S ACTUALLY, THERE'S AN INVERSE RELATIONSHIP THERE WHERE YOU...
YOU KNOW, THERE'S A PRIME AMOUNT OF TREES WHERE YOU'RE STILL, YOU'RE GETTING A LOT OF HEALTH.
THERE'S A, THERE'S SORT OF A HOLDING CAPACITY OF ANY PIECE OF LAND.
EACH, YOU KNOW, THEY ALL HAVE DIFFERENT ASPECTS LIKE SOIL, YOU KNOW, THE AMOUNT OF WATER THAT'S THERE.
SO, AND THAT'S WHERE, YOU KNOW, AN INVENTORY IS SO IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT TELLS YOU ALL THAT STUFF.
TELLS YOU WHAT YOUR SOILS ARE LIKE, WHAT YOUR VEGETATION COMMUNITIES ARE, WHAT THE NATURAL.
BUT YEAH, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THAT IN YOSEMITE AND ALL OF THAT, YOU KNOW, IT HAS GOES HAND IN HAND WITH JUST, YOU KNOW, LIKE, WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE BUFFALO AND THE, YOU
[01:25:02]
KNOW, THE BUFFALO WERE WIPED OUT AND THEY WERE THEY THEY WERE GRAZING THE LAND, YOU KNOW, AND SO THEY WERE WIPED OUT AND ALL THE END THESE FORESTS WERE RAISED AND THEN CUT DOWN AND RAISE AND CUT DOWN AND THE OLD GROWTH WAS ALL ANNIHILATED IN THE WEST HERE.I MEAN, WE HAVE I'M VERY FEW I THINK WE HAVE LIKE IT'S UNDER FIVE PERCENT I THINK IT'S CLOSER TO LIKE TWO OR THREE PERCENT OF WHAT WAS HERE IN TERMS OF OLD GROWTH UH FOREST STANDS THAT HAVE REACHED A CLIMAX STATE WHERE THEY'RE UM THEY'RE SELF-REGULATED YOU KNOW FIRE JUST CAN CREEP THROUGH AND YOU DON'T REALLY HAVE A TON OF GROWTH IT'S KIND OF AT THIS STASIS SO THAT THAT'S WHAT AN OLD GROWTH STAND IS UM AND IT TAKES YOU KNOW I MEAN IT TAKES HUNDREDS TO THOUSANDS OF YEARS TO DEVELOP THAT CLOSER TO THOUSANDS.
SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS STUFF AND IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MANAGING A LANDSCAPE, A FORESTED LANDSCAPE...
FOR OTHER PURPOSES THAN TIMBER PRODUCTION OR AGRICULTURE, WE'D BE TALKING ABOUT MOVING TOWARDS THIS OLD GROWTH STATE, MOVING TOWARDS, YOU KNOW, WHAT THAT WAS, WHICH IS WAY FEWER TREES PER ACRE, BIGGER TREES.
IN TERMS OF, I'M SPEAKING SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE REDWOOD FOREST IN THAT CASE.
ALL FOREST TYPES ARE GOING TO BE DIFFERENT IN TERMS OF LIKE WHAT THAT HISTORICAL STATE WAS AND WHAT THE BEST WAY TO GET THERE.
VERY INTERESTING PRESENTATION.
AND HIDDEN LIFE OF TREES IS ANOTHER VERY INTERESTING BOOK AS WELL.
YOU HAVEN'T? NO, HIDDEN LIFE OF TREES.
YEAH, THEY TALK TO EACH OTHER.
I WONDER HOW THEY DECIDE AMONGST THEMSELVES WHO NEEDS TO GO.
ANYWAY, THERE'S MORE AND MORE BOOKS, STORIES, OVERSTORY, AND SO MUCH INTEREST IN THIS AND THE COMMENT ABOUT PEOPLE COMING OUT EVEN FOR EUCALYPTUS TREES.
I THINK STAFF, I GUESS MATT, I THINK MAX HAS LEFT, BUT WHOEVER, SAME THING.
THIS IS GOING TO BE A HARD SELL TO THE COMMUNITY AND EARLY AND OFTEN.
WE'RE ALSO SMART IN THE BAY AREA, BUT IT'S GOING TO TAKE A LITTLE.
IT SCARES ME TO THINK ABOUT CUTTING DOWN REDWOOD TREES, TO BE HONEST.
I MEAN, YOU'RE BRINGING ME ALONG.
BUT QUESTIONS, YOU MENTIONED ARCATA.
ARE THERE OTHER TESTS OR PILOTS THAT WE CAN POINT TO IN THE COMMUNITY WHERE THIS HAS BEEN DONE? BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE REALLY IMPORTANT.
SAVE THE REDWOODS LEAGUE IS ANOTHER GREAT ONE TO LOOK AT.
I'VE WORKED WITH THEM A LITTLE BIT ON SOME INVENTORY WORK.
SO THEY HAVE A GREAT APPROACH AS WELL.
YEAH, THOSE TWO I THINK ARE GOING TO BE MORE APPLICABLE TO YOUR GUYS' SITUATION.
I THINK A FIELD TRIP MAYBE ON THIS WOULD ALSO, LIKE THE LAST ONE, IT FEELS LIKE A LOT OF THESE HAVE SOME SIMILAR NEEDS.
VANE, SO, YEAH, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH SAVE THE REDWOODS LEAGUE ACTUALLY THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS.
WE MET WITH THEM EARLY ON TO INFORM THE NEED TO DO THE INVENTORY BEFORE WE PUT OUT THAT RFP.
SO THAT'S WHEN I SAID A TWO-YEAR PROCESS.
WE THOUGHT ABOUT THE RFP AND HIRING JACOB'S FIRM FOR A WHILE BEFORE WE ACTUALLY WENT OUT AND STARTED THE INVENTORY.
SO WE HAD SEVERAL MEETINGS THINKING ABOUT THIS APPROACH.
BUT THEN ALSO WE WEREN'T SURE WHAT THE INVENTORY WAS GOING TO SHOW AND WHAT THE NEEDS WERE GOING TO BE.
AND NOW WE'VE SEEN A LOT OF THOSE RESULTS TODAY ABOUT THE HIGH.
HAZARD AREAS AND THE HIGH DENSITY OF GROWTH IN CERTAIN AREAS AND BETTER UNDERSTAND THE HISTORY OF WHY IT IS THAT WAY NOW.
BUT ANYWAYS, WITH SAVE THE REDWOODS LEAGUE, WE TOOK A FIELD TRIP TO MEET WITH THEM ABOUT A MONTH AGO, STAFF AT BIG BASIN.
AND THEY'RE WORKING TO MANAGE AREAS AROUND THERE.
BUT IT WAS REALLY DRAMATIC WHAT WE LEARNED THERE AT BIG BASIN BECAUSE I THINK WE WERE ALL FAMILIAR WITH THE FIRE AND HOW DEVASTATING IT WAS TO THE PARK FACILITIES.
THE THING I DIDN'T KNOW WAS THAT 97% OF THAT STATE PARK FOREST BURNED IN THAT FIRE AND WAS COMPLETELY ALMOST DEVASTATED IN THAT BURN BECAUSE IT WAS SUCH A HOT BURN AND THERE HADN'T BEEN MANAGEMENT FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.
BUT WHAT WE FOUND IN IS SOME OF THE AREAS THAT ARE REMAINING, OF THOSE 3% OF STANDS THAT ARE REMAINING, SOME OF THOSE AREAS DID HAVE MANAGEMENT AND THINNING AHEAD OF TIME.
AND SO BECAUSE THEY HAD THAT THINNING, THEY WERE ABLE TO SUSTAIN THAT EXTREMELY HOT FIRE THAT DESTROYED MOST OF THE FOREST.
MOST OF THE TAKEAWAY WE HAD FROM STAFF THERE WAS, OH, MY GOSH, WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING HERE.
IF WE DON'T MANAGE THIS REDWOOD FOREST, WE MAY BE IN A SIMILAR SITUATION AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE THAT WE COULD LOSE THE FOREST.
SO I THINK THAT'S THE WAY WE'RE
[01:30:01]
GOING TO NEED TO REALLY BE TALKING ABOUT THIS AND PUTTING IT INTO PERSPECTIVE OF THE REASON WE DID THE INVENTORY HERE, AND JACOB ALLUDED TO THIS, IT WASN'T FOR HOW CAN WE MANAGE THE FOREST FOR TIMBER IN THE FUTURE.IT WAS HOW CAN WE MANAGE THIS FOREST FOR THE HEALTH OF THE FOREST TO MAINTAIN THE TREES THAT ARE THERE AND PROTECT THEIR HEALTH.
AND SO I THINK THAT'S THE MESSAGE WE NEED TO BE DELIVERING TO THE COMMUNITY AND OTHERS.
WE'RE DOING THIS TO PROTECT THE FOREST, AND I THINK THAT GOES WITH THE OTHER AREAS.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE MOVING EUCALYPTUS FROM OAK BAY WOODLANDS.
WE'RE TRYING TO REMOVE THEM SO THE OAK BAY WOODLANDS WILL SURVIVE AND WON'T HAVE A CATASTROPHIC FIRE.
AND THEN THAT STORY CHANGES THROUGHOUT THE PARK DISTRICT BECAUSE SOME AREAS ARE DENSE EUCALYPTUS.
THEY DON'T HAVE THAT NATIVE UNDERSTORY.
SO EACH OF THESE AREAS HAS SORT OF DIFFERENT GOALS THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, BUT ANYWAY, THAT'S JUST A LITTLE MORE CONTEXT.
I GUESS ON NEXT STEPS, I'VE WALKED REDWOOD, AND I KNEW THIS WAS COMING.
ISSUE OR WHATEVER BUT I THINK DEFINITELY SOME HISTORY CAUGHT YOU KNOW PUTTING PUTTING SOMETHING AROUND IT BUT THE SAME QUESTION I ASKED EARLIER TO ANNA MARIE ON THIS ONE TOO THEY SAVE THE REDWOODS LIKE THERE'S GOT TO BE DEFINITELY WE NEED A COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PLAN.
IT SOUNDS LIKE WE NEED A REDWOOD MANAGEMENT PLAN.
SO ARE THOSE BOTH COMING? YES.
AND WE'RE THINKING ABOUT THAT.
I MEAN, THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PLAN IS SOMETHING WE'RE CERTAINLY STARTING TO TALK ABOUT.
AS WE'RE STARTING TO TALK ABOUT THE NEXT PHASE OF THE MANAGEMENT PLAN, WE ARE PLANNING TO GET PUBLIC AFFAIRS INVOLVED EARLY AND START TALKING TO YOU ALL EARLY AND THINKING ABOUT STEPS ALONG THE WAY THAT HOW WE CAN COMMUNICATE THIS.
SO WE HAVEN'T SPECIFICALLY IDENTIFIED A...
COMMUNICATIONS MANAGEMENT PLAN, BUT I THINK WE'RE CERTAINLY THINKING ABOUT THAT AND KNOWING THAT WILL BE NEEDED, AND A COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGY ON HOW WE ROLL THIS OUT.
SO WHO PAID YOU FOR THIS JOB? DID WE? I MEAN, I COULDN'T QUITE TELL IF THIS WAS AN ACADEMIC.
IT'S WELL DONE, ACADEMIC STUDY, OR WE DIDN'T HAVE A LOT OF HISTORY IN OUR STAFF REPORT OVER THE TIME PERIOD YOU DID IT, AND IT WAS, YOU MENTIONED IN RFP, IT WAS, WE HIRED.
YEAH, WE DID AN RFP WITH OUR MEASURE FF FUNDS.
SO WE DID AN RFP, LOOKED AT ALL THE AVAILABLE CONSULTANTS.
JACOB'S FIRM WAS CONSIDERED THE BEST QUALIFIED, THE BEST SUITED FOR THIS WORK.
SO THEN THEY WERE HIRED, AWARDED THE CONTRACT, AND WE PAID THEM WITH THE MEASURE FF MONEY.
DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS? NO PUBLIC COMMENTS.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM OUR BOARD? I THINK THIS IS FANTASTIC, VERY INTERESTING, SCARY, EXCITING, ALL AT THE SAME TIME.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TODAY.
AND, YOU KNOW, IF YOU EVER HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT, I KNOW IT CAN BE SCARY.
BUT, YOU KNOW, THE THING, TOO, WHEN YOU REALLY LOVE A FOREST LIKE THAT, THERE'S MULTIPLE WAYS TO HARM IT.
ONE IS BY, YOU KNOW, BEING TOO HEAVY-HANDED.
THE OTHER IS BY BEING TOO SOFT.
AND NOT DOING WHAT YOU NEED TO DO WHEN YOU IDENTIFY IT.
SO I JUST KIND OF WANT TO THROW THAT OUT THERE.
BUT ANYTIME YOU HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THIS TYPE OF THING, YOU KNOW, CALL ME OR EMAIL.
I MIGHT JUST TAKE YOU UP ON THAT.
IT'S LIKE BEING A PARENT, RIGHT? LIKE HOW HARD DO YOU WANT TO BE? YOU'VE GOT TO GIVE THEM SOME GOOD LOVE.
A SWEET SPOT FOR TAKING CARE OF OUR FORESTS.
DO WE NEED A BREAK OR BARREL ON? LET'S DO A FIVE MINUTE BREAK.
WE ARE BACK WITH OUR ITEM 5C THE IPM WHICH STANDS FOR INTEGRATED PESTICIDE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM THE ANNUAL REPORT FOR 2025 WILL BE PRESENTED BY YEAH, WELL, I'LL INTRODUCE IT AGAIN, MATT GRAWL.
AND SO JUST FOR A LITTLE CONTEXT HERE, SO PAMELA BITES IS OUR REGULAR IPM SPECIALIST.
AND IF YOU'RE NOT AWARE, THE PARK DISTRICT HAS A PROGRAM THAT AFTER SOMEONE'S BEEN HERE FOR MORE THAN 10 YEARS OF SERVICE FOR UNION MEMBERS, YOU HAVE THE OPTION TO TAKE GUARANTEED LEAVE FOR SIX MONTHS.
SO PAM HAS TAKEN HER GUARANTEED LEAVE FOR SIX MONTHS, AND SHE'S OUT AND HIKING AND DOING SOME GREAT THINGS AND ENJOYING HER TIME OFF.
AND SO WITH THAT, JACQUELINE LIM IS OUR ACTING IPM SPECIALIST.
AND SO JACQUELINE PRESENTED LAST WEEK TO THE ECOLOGY COMMITTEE, OR MAYBE TWO WEEKS AGO THAT WAS, PRINTED THE ECOLOGY COMMITTEE ON THIS REPORT AND WAS PLANNING TO BE HERE TODAY, BUT SHE HAD A FAMILY EMERGENCY, AND SO SHE CAN'T BE WITH US.
SO WE DO LUCKILY HAVE A DEEP BENCH IN OUR IPM PROGRAM, AND TATIANA MANZANILLO IS HERE.
AND A VEG ECOLOGIST IN OUR IPM PROGRAM WITH JACQUELINE.
AND SO SHE IS GOING TO DO THE PRESENTATION TODAY, AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE HER STEPPING UP AND PRESENTING TO YOU TODAY.
[01:35:02]
SO GO AHEAD.THANK YOU FOR THAT INTRODUCTION, MATT.
MY NAME IS TATIANA MANZANILLO.
I'M A VEGETATION ECOLOGIST WITHIN THE INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT UNIT.
I'LL BE GOING OVER THE ANNUAL IPM REPORT FOR 2025.
WE'LL DO AN IPM OVERVIEW, GO OVER PROGRAMMATIC AND TRAINING UPDATES, TALK ABOUT NEW PEST ALERTS IN OUR PARKS, AND COVER THE HERBICIDE USE TRENDS FROM LAST YEAR.
SO AS MATT DESCRIBED, THE IPM TEAM CONSISTS OF FOUR STAFF WITHIN THE STEWARDSHIP DEPARTMENT.
WE SERVE AS TECHNICAL ADVISORS AND TRAINERS FOR THE DISTRICT AND WE ARE ALL QUALIFIED APPLICATORS AND HAVE LICENSES FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF PESTICIDE REGULATION.
CURRENTLY AT THIS TIME WE HAVE TWO FOLKS OUT ON LEAVE.
AS TECHNICAL ADVISORS, WE USE A SCIENCE-BASED APPROACH TO SUPPORT THE DISTRICT.
OUR IPM TEAM PROVIDES TRAININGS, SITE VISITS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO STAFF IN OUR OPERATIONS DIVISION.
THESE ARE THE FOLKS YOU MOST FREQUENTLY SEE IN OUR PARKS AND WHO ARE THE ONES WHO CARRY OUT THE BOOTS ON THE GROUND WORK.
EVERY YEAR, WE TRAIN PARK STAFF ON THE SAFE AND EFFECTIVE USE OF PESTICIDES IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF PESTICIDE REGULATION TO COVER WORKER SAFETY, PROPER APPLICATION TECHNIQUE, AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS.
IN 2025, OUR ANNUAL PESTICIDE HANDLER SAFETY TRAINING WAS COMPLETED BY 226 STAFF.
WE HAD 16 PARK-SPECIFIC FIELD TRAININGS THAT COVERED CALIBRATION, APPLICATION, AND TREATING TRICKY WEEDS IN UNIQUE CIRCUMSTANCES.
OR COLLABORATED, SORRY, WITH THE CALIFORNIA INVASIVE PLANT COUNCIL TO PROVIDE TECHNICAL EXPERTISE TO A MUCH LARGER AUDIENCE.
AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON IPM PARK PLANS.
SO MORE INFORMATION ON THOSE TOWARDS THE END OF THIS PRESENTATION.
SO AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT AND ITS PHILOSOPHY AND PRACTICE IS.
IPM IS AN ECOSYSTEM-BASED APPROACH THAT FOCUSES ON THE LONG-TERM PREVENTION OF PESTS IN THE ENVIRONMENT.
TO MINIMIZE AND REDUCE RISKS AND HAZARDS TO HEALTH AND THOSE ENVIRONMENTS.
THIS APPROACH USES A COMBINATION OF TECHNIQUES SUCH AS CULTURAL PRACTICES LIKE GRAZING AND PLANTING, MECHANICAL TREATMENTS LIKE WEEDING AND PRUNING, AND BIOLOGICAL CONTROL FOR AN ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT APPROACH.
YOU'LL SEE THAT AT THE BASE OF THIS PYRAMID IS PREVENTION.
THIS IS A FOUNDATION FOR A HEALTHY ECOSYSTEM.
EDUCATION AND IMPLEMENTING BMPS, BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES, FOR HYGIENE AND SANITATION, PROMOTE A PROACTIVE APPROACH THAT INTERVENES BEFORE A PEST BECOMES A PROBLEM.
MOVING UP THE PYRAMID, YOU'LL NOTE THAT WE HAVE THOSE CULTURAL, MECHANICAL, AND BIOLOGICAL CONTROLS.
AT THE TOP, WE HAVE CHEMICAL CONTROLS, WHICH ARE USED AFTER MONITORING INDICATES THEY ARE NEEDED, AND TREATMENTS ARE MADE WITH THE GOAL OF REMOVING ONLY THE TARGET ORGANISM.
OUR PROGRAM HAS FIVE PRINCIPAL GOALS THAT PROJECTS FALL INTO.
ADDRESSES ANY PESTS THAT POSE A THREAT TO PUBLIC HEALTH, INCLUDING HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS AND STINGING INSECTS LIKE WASPS AND MOSQUITOES.
FIRE SAFETY, WHICH INVOLVES VEGETATION MANAGEMENT AROUND IGNITION SOURCES LIKE FIRE PITS, BARBECUES, AND PICNIC AREAS, AS WELL AS BUILDING PERIMETERS AND THE SIDES OF ROADS AND TRAILS.
RECREATION, WHICH INCLUDES VEGETATION MANAGEMENT TO MAINTAIN RECREATIONAL USE, INCLUDING LANDSCAPING, GARDENS, AND OTHER USES.
MANAGEMENT THAT PROMOTES AND MAINTAINS SENSITIVE NATURAL RESOURCES AND INCREASES OUR BIODIVERSITY.
THIS INCLUDES PROJECTS THAT FOCUS ON HABITAT ENHANCEMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMS, AND HEALTHY FORESTS.
THIS GOAL WAS FORMERLY KNOWN AS FUELS, AND IT'S THE DISTRICT-WIDE EFFORT TO REDUCE THE RISK OF CATASTROPHIC FIRE IN OUR WILDLAND-URBAN INTERFACE.
PROJECTS INCLUDE CREATING SHADED FUEL BREAKS IN DENSE EUCALYPTUS FOREST AND BRUSH CONTROL IN FUELS TREATMENT AREAS.
SO I'M GOING TO JUMP INTO OUR PEST ALERTS.
THIS FIRST ONE IS ON THE INVASIVE SHOT HOLE BORER.
YOU MIGHT HAVE HEARD A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS LAST YEAR.
THIS TYPE OF AMBROSIA BEETLE BORES INTO TREES AND INFECTS THEM WITH A FUNGAL DISEASE.
THE BEETLE WAS FIRST DETECTED IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA IN THE EARLY 2000S, BUT WENT MOSTLY UNNOTICED UNTIL 2012 WHEN IT WAS DETECTED IN AVOCADO.
SINCE THEN, IT HAS IMPACTED SEVEN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA COUNTIES WHERE IT'S DECIMATED MANY TREES IN URBAN LANDSCAPE AND WILDLAND ENVIRONMENTS.
IN 2023 IT WAS DETECTED IN SAN JOSE BY AN ARBORIST WHO HAD DONE EXTENSIVE WORK MAPPING AND TREATING ITS INFESTATION IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.
SINCE ITS DETECTION IN NEIGHBORING SANTA CLARA COUNTY, WE'VE CONDUCTED EARLY DETECTION SURVEYS FOCUSING ON HIGH-RISK INTRODUCTION SITES LIKE STAGING AREAS, SERVICE YARDS AND CAMPGROUNDS BECAUSE THE BEETLE MAINLY MOVES AROUND IN INFESTED WOOD AND HIGHLY SENSITIVE HABITATS.
THAT CONTAIN NATIVE TREE SPECIES LIKE SYCAMORE AND BOX
[01:40:01]
ELDER THAT ARE HIGHLY SUSCEPTIBLE AND REPRODUCTIVE HOSTS.2025 WAS THE SECOND YEAR OF EARLY DETECTION MONITORING.
A TOTAL OF 21 PARKS WERE SURVEYED AND 412 INDIVIDUAL TREES WERE ASSESSED FOR SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS CONSISTENT WITH ISHB OR THIS BEETLE.
IF THERE WERE, WE DO HAVE A PROACTIVE MANAGEMENT APPROACH WHICH WOULD BE PRUNING INFESTED LIMBS OR THE TREE ITSELF AND SHIPPING ON SITE.
BEING CONSCIOUS NOT TO MOVE THE WOODY MATERIAL AROUND.
OUR SECOND PEST ALERT IS A NEW STRAIN OF SUDDEN OAK DEATH.
SO AS YOU KNOW IT, SUDDEN OAK DEATH IS CAUSED BY THE PATHOGEN PHYTOPHTHORA REMORUM, WHICH WAS INTRODUCED INTO CALIFORNIA IN THE LATE 80S THROUGH INFECTED ORNAMENTAL PLANTS, AND SINCE THEN MILLIONS OF OAK TREES HAVE PERISHED DUE TO THIS DISEASE.
IT WAS ACTUALLY IN 2024 THAT A NEW LINEAGE OF PHYTOPHTHORA REMORUM WAS DETECTED.
AND THIS NEW LINEAGE IS DUBBED NA2.
THE GARBALATO LAB FROM UC BERKELEY RUNS THE SOGLITS PROGRAM, A COMMUNITY SCIENCE-BASED PROJECT THAT MONITORS AND TRACKS THE PREVALENCE OF PHYTOPHTHORA REMORUM IN CALIFORNIA.
THROUGH THIS PROGRAM, THE LAB DETECTED THIS NEW STRAIN IN TWO OF OUR PARKS.
LAB CONTACTED US AND INFORMED US THAT THIS NEW STRAIN OF NA2 IS FOUR TIMES MORE INFECTIOUS THAN THE FIRST STRAIN, DUBBED NA1, AND CAN EXIST IN HIGHER TEMPERATURES.
SO IN 2025, IN COLLABORATION WITH OPERATIONS AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENTS, WE CONDUCTED TWO BLITZES, ONE IN LATE WINTER TO GET AN INITIAL IDEA OF ITS FOOTPRINT IN OUR EAST BAY HILL PARKS, AND ONE IN LATE SPRING, EARLY SUMMER TO MONITOR THE EXTENT DISTRICT-WIDE.
SO OVER THE COURSE OF THOSE TWO SURVEYS, AND WE INCLUDED COMMUNITY SCIENCE DATA AS WELL, WE HAD A TOTAL OF 452 SAMPLES.
17% OF THOSE SAMPLES TESTED POSITIVE FOR EITHER STRAIN OF SUDDEN OAK DEATH IN OUR PARKS.
IN AREAS WHERE NA2 WAS DETECTED, A ONE KILOMETER BUFFER FROM THE INFECTED BAY TREE INDIVIDUAL WAS PUT IN PLACE TO ACT AS A QUARANTINE ZONE, PREVENTING THE MOVEMENT OF INFECTED MATERIAL.
OUTSIDE OF THAT BUFFER FROM WORK THROUGH OUR OPERATIONS DEPARTMENT OR FROM CONTRACTORS.
LOOKING AHEAD, WE DO NEED A SUDDEN OAK DEATH MANAGEMENT PLAN SPECIFIC TO CURTAILING THE NA2 STRAIN TO ENSURE OUR OAK WOODLANDS REMAIN RESILIENT.
ALTHOUGH NA2 IS MORE AGGRESSIVE AND HAS THE ABILITY TO SPREAD IN HOTTER, DRIER CONDITIONS, IT'S STILL A RELATIVELY NEW INTRODUCTION AND REALLY ONLY IN A FEW ISOLATED AREAS IN OUR PARKS THUS FAR.
IN OUR WILDLAND ENVIRONMENT, BAY LAURELS ARE THE PRIMARY VECTOR OF THE PATHOGEN.
OAKS LOCATED NEAR AN INFECTED BAY ARE AT RISK OF SUCCUMBING TO SUDDEN OAK DEATH.
MANAGEMENT OF INFECTED BAYS, ESPECIALLY YOUNG SAPLINGS WHICH TEND TO CARRY MORE OF THE PATHOGEN IN THEIR LEAVES, WITHIN 30 FEET OF AN OAK CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN PREVENTING ITS SPREAD FURTHER INTO OUR PARKS.
SO NOW I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE...
PEST MANAGEMENT THAT GOES ON IN OUR PARKS, THE VAST MAJORITY OF WHICH IS VEGETATION MANAGEMENT.
THE MOST UTILIZED TOOLS ARE MECHANICAL AND CULTURAL MEANS.
YOU'LL SEE STAFF MOWING, LINE TRIMMING, BRUSHING TRAILS AND ROADSIDES, AS WELL AS WORKING WITH VOLUNTEERS TO PULL WEEDS OUT.
GRAZING IS OUR MOST POWERFUL TOOL, AS IT COVERS ABOUT 87,000 ACRES OF LAND.
THESE METHODS ARE DIFFICULT TO TRACK, THOUGH, AS WORK OVERLAPS WITH ROUTINE MAINTENANCE.
AND YOU'LL SEE WHERE THIS COINCIDES WITH OUR IPM PARK PLAN LATER ON.
SO I'LL ALSO GO OVER OUR PESTICIDE USE TRENDS FOR 2025.
BECAUSE HERBICIDES ARE CONTROLLED, REGULATED, AND MONITORED, WE HAVE DOCUMENTATION ON EVERY APPLICATION THAT OCCURS WITHIN THE DISTRICT.
IN ADDITION TO THE REGULATORY COMPONENT OF REPORTING OUR PESTICIDE USAGE TO THE COUNTY AGRICULTURE COMMISSIONER, WE ALSO PROVIDE AN ANNUAL REPORT THAT SHOWS EVERY PESTICIDE USED YOU THAT YEAR AND THE AMOUNT FOR TRANSPARENCY AND TO TRACK ITS EFFECTIVENESS AND ADAPTER STRATEGIES BASED ON THAT DATA TO REDUCE OUR HERBICIDE USAGE OVERALL.
SO YOU'LL FIND IN THIS CHART, THIS CHART IS APPENDIX A OF THE IPM REPORT, IT INCLUDES ALL PESTICIDE PRODUCTS APPROVED FOR USE AT THE DISTRICT IN THAT TOP ROW, THE PARK WHERE THE PRODUCT WAS USED IN THE LEFTMOST COLUMN, FOLLOWED BY THE PROJECT GOAL, THE APPLICATOR, AND THEN THE AMOUNT APPLIED.
LOOKING AT EARLY SEASON TREATMENTS, THESE INCLUDE OUR SELECTIVE PRE-EMERGENT HERBICIDE AND OUR ORGANIC BURNDOWN HERBICIDE.
THESE TREATMENTS ARE USUALLY PAIRED WITH TIMED MOWING FOR ANNUAL MAINTENANCE OF VEGETATION AROUND PICNIC AREAS, TRAILS,
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AND ROADSIDES.THE USAGE TRENDS REMAINED RELATIVELY SIMILAR YEAR TO YEAR AND USUALLY THESE NUMBERS DON'T CHANGE MUCH UNLESS A NEW DEVELOPMENT OR AREA IS ADDED OR A SPECIFIC PROJECT CALLS FOR THE USE OF THESE.
YOU'LL NOTICE THERE IS A SLIGHT INCREASE FROM 2024 TO 2025 FOR THE ORGANIC BURNDOWN HERBICIDE AS IT WAS USED FOR TREATMENT IN NEW HABITAT RESTORATION SITES TO TREAT ANNUAL GRASSES AND BROADLEAF WEEDS AROUND NATIVE PLANTINGS.
THIS SLIDE LOOKS AT TRICLOPYR PRODUCTS AND ITS USE IN OUR PARKS.
COMMONLY USED BROADLEAF WEED AND WOODY PLANT HERBICIDE.
IT DOES NOT AFFECT GRASSES AND DOES NOT PERSIST IN THE ENVIRONMENT FOR VERY LONG, BINDING WITH SOIL POND CONTACT AND BREAKING DOWN.
IN THE FOREST HEALTH CATEGORY, THESE PRODUCTS ARE USED TO STOP EUCALYPTUS TREES FROM RE-SPROUTING ONCE CUT, LIKE THOSE PICTURED HERE, TO MAINTAIN OPEN SHADED FUEL BREAKS.
2025 SAW A DOWNWARD TREND OF TRICHOCLOPYR USE IN OUR PARKS.
SO THIS GRAPH IS A BREAKDOWN OF ...TRICLOPYR USAGE BY PROJECT GOAL.
IN 2024 SAW AN UPTICK OF TRICLOPYR USAGE DUE TO NEW PROJECT AREAS BEING TAKEN ON.
THIS WAS REDUCED IN 2025 BY 54% COMPARATIVELY.
WITHIN THE ECOLOGICAL HEALTH GOAL, WHICH IS IN THE ORANGE, TRICLOPYR USAGE INCREASED BY 57% FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR DUE TO NEW PROPERTIES AND PROJECT AREAS NEEDING INITIAL CONTROL AND RESTORATION.
THESE ARE COMPLETELY NEW AREAS THAT WERE BEING TREATED.
AND THEN RECREATION AND FIRE SAFETY ARE THE OTHER TWO CATEGORIES, WHERE MINIMAL USE OF THIS PRODUCT IS USED AROUND TRAILS, ROADSIDES, AND RECREATION AREAS TO CONTROL VEGETATION.
OUR SPECIAL USE HERBICIDES ARE THOSE THAT ARE USED FOR PARTICULARLY TOUGH TO TREAT WEEDS.
THESE HERBICIDES TEND TO SPECIALIZE IN TARGETING SPECIFIC PLANT FAMILIES.
PROJECTS INCLUDE MANAGING VEGETATION FOR PERMIT COMPLIANCE, MITIGATION, AND HABITAT ENHANCEMENT.
YOU'LL NOTICE THAT THE AMOUNT OF SPECIAL HERBICIDES WENT DOWN FOR 2025, THE LOWEST IN THIS FIVE-YEAR TREND.
IN 2019, A RESOLUTION WAS PASSED THAT BANNED THE USE OF GLYPHOSATE IN DEVELOPED AREAS.
WE HAVE A GLYPHOSATE EXEMPTION POLICY WHERE THIS PRODUCT IS USED IN AREAS NOT ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC TO TREAT SOME OF OUR MORE TENACIOUS WEEDS.
YOU'LL NOTICE THAT GLYPHOSATE USAGE INCREASED IN 2025.
THIS WAS BECAUSE A NEW HABITAT ENHANCEMENT PROJECT WAS TAKEN ON AT COYOTE HILLS TO TREAT PAMPAS IN HARDING GRASS IN INACCESSIBLE AREAS.
THIS GRAPH SHOWS THE OVERALL TREND OF HERBICIDE USE PER ACRE UNDER MANAGEMENT.
THE AMOUNT OF HERBICIDE USED PER ACRE HAS REMAINED BETWEEN 0.1 AND 0.4 OUNCES PER ACRE SINCE THE EARLY 2000S. THE INCREASE IN HERBICIDE AMOUNT FROM 2021 TO 2022 WAS DUE TO THE BAY AREA TREE DIEBACK THAT OCCURRED IN 2020.
IN 2025, WE'RE SEEING A DECREASING TREND IN THE AMOUNT OF HERBICIDE APPLIED FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR, WHILE THE NUMBER OF ACRES TREATED CONTINUES TO INCREASE.
SO WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FORWARD TO IN 2026? WE HAVE AN ARTICHOKE THISTLE MAPPING PROJECT GOING ON.
THIS IS MAPPING ARTICHOKE THISTLE AT A PROTOCOL LEVEL TO HELP TRACK, MONITOR, AND TREAT THIS NOXIOUS WEED IN OUR GRASSLANDS.
PRESERVATION, MANAGING INFECTED BAY TREES NEAR OAKS, AND DOING ANOTHER YEAR OF MONITORING THROUGH THE SOD BLITZ PROGRAM TO INFORM MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES MOVING FORWARD.
EARLY DETECTION AND RAPID RESPONSE TRAININGS FOR STAFF TO IDENTIFY, MAP, AND TREAT HIGHLY NOXIOUS WEEDS, AND CONTINUING TO BUILD IPM PARK PLANS.
THERE ARE CURRENTLY 18 PARK PLANS TO DATE, BOTH COMPLETED AND UNDER CONSTRUCTION.
THIS SLIDE IS AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT THE IPM PARK PLAN PORTAL LOOKS LIKE.
THIS TOOL IS A COLLABORATION BETWEEN PARK OPERATIONS AND STEWARDSHIP, AND IT CAME ABOUT BECAUSE OF THE NEED FROM OPERATIONS TO TRACK THE WORK THEY WERE DOING AND KNOW WHAT VEGETATION MANAGEMENT WAS GOING ON OUT THERE.
SO YOU CAN SEE THAT THIS TOOL IS HELPFUL IN PLANNING AND EXECUTING VEGETATION MANAGEMENT IN PARKS THAT HAVE PRESCRIBED TO THIS.
OKAY, ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU SO MUCH.
YOU DID A GREAT JOB FILLING IN IN A PINCH, A PINCH AFTER A PINCH.
THANK YOU FOR COMING TO BE WITH US.
ANY QUESTIONS? I WAS ABLE TO HEAR THIS PRESENTATION A WEEK OR SO AGO AT THE ECOLOGICAL COMMITTEE.
WELL, CAN YOU MAYBE SHARE A FEW POINTS
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OF THE CONVERSATION YOU HAD AT THE ECOLO- ECOLOGY COMMITTEE AND WAS ANYTHING DIFFERENT FROM THEN COMPARED TO TODAY? NO, IT'S THE SAME PRESENTATION.OKAY, DID YOU HAVE ANY OTHER ADDITIONAL CONVERSATIONS DURING THE COMMITTEE? I KNOW WHEN I WAS ON THE COMMITTEE TWO YEARS AGO, WE HAD A PRETTY ROBUST CONVERSATION ABOUT GEESE, CANADIAN GEESE ACTUALLY, SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT CAME UP.
WE TALKED ABOUT STAR THISTLE, WHICH IS EXCITING.
WHO WAS ON THE COMMITTEE THIS YEAR? DENNIS AND I.
SO I GUESS THAT'S MY QUESTION.
SO WITH SOMETHING LIKE THINKING ABOUT CANADIAN GEESE, WOULD THAT FALL WITHIN THE IPMR? IS THAT A DIFFERENT TOPIC FOR THE ECOLOGY COMMITTEE? THAT'S A REALLY GREAT QUESTION.
AND I MIGHT THROW THIS ONE TO MATT BECAUSE IT MIGHT FALL UNDER WILDLIFE BECAUSE IT DOES HAVE GEESE IN IT.
I'M SORRY, WHAT'S THE QUESTION? LET ME BACK UP.
I KNOW THERE WAS A SLIDE ON HERE WHERE IT MENTIONED GOPHERS AND SOME OF THE OTHER ANIMALS THAT MAYBE COULD FALL WITHIN PEST MANAGEMENT.
AND I KNOW TWO YEARS AGO WE HAD A CONVERSATION ABOUT CANADIAN GEESE.
AND MORE SPECIFICALLY, I KNOW WHEN YOU GO TO SHADOWCLIFFS LAKE, THERE ARE WARNING SIGNS TO BE CAREFUL IF YOU ARE SENSITIVE TO...
IF HER SKIN MIGHT BE MORE SENSITIVE, THERE COULD BE POTENTIALLY, I MAY NOT HAVE THE PHRASE CORRECT, BUT IT COULD CAUSE SOME IRRITATION IN THE LAKE BECAUSE OF ALL THE GEESE THAT ARE AT SHADOW CLIFF.
I THINK THAT'S MORE, I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE SKIN IRRITATION WOULD BE.
I MEAN, OFTEN WE DO HAVE, OH, OH, OH, THAT'S, SORRY, LET ME THINK, SWIMMER'S ITCH.
YEAH, AND SO SWIMMER'S ITCH IS NOT REALLY IN THIS.
I MEAN, THAT'S A SEPARATE BIOLOGICAL PROCESS THAT HAPPENS WITH THE ORGANISM THAT CAUSES SWIMMER'S ITCH, AND IT CAN MOVE FROM GEESE TO HUMANS TEMPORARILY, AND IT CREATES A REACTION SIMILAR TO A MOSQUITO BITE.
AND SO THAT CAME UP, I THINK WE TALKED ABOUT IT IN THE COMMITTEE, BUT THAT'S REALLY NOT SOMETHING THAT'S PART OF OUR IPM PROGRAM PER SE.
THAT'S MORE OF OUR WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM, AND WE DON'T USE AN HERBICIDE OR PESTICIDE TO...
THAT'S DONE MORE BY EGG ADDLING AND OILING THE EGGS SO THEN THEY'RE NOT AS SUCCESSFUL AT NESTING.
THEY DON'T HAVE AS MUCH NESTING SUCCESS, SO IT'S MORE ABOUT POPULATION MANAGEMENT.
GEESE LOVE OUR PARKS BECAUSE OF LAWNS AND WATER.
YOU HAVE A GREAT FOOD SOURCE AND THEN YOU HAVE THE WATER THERE.
WE HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT THINGS TO TRY TO MANAGE GEESE BETTER IN OUR PARKS.
WE'RE ACTUALLY TRYING SOME PILOT STUDIES RIGHT NOW WITH SOME NEW FENCING TO JUST KEEP GEESE AWAY FROM THE WATER.
BUT THAT, ANYWAY, SO THAT'S, I THINK, IN THE CONTEXT WE TALKED ABOUT IT.
AND THERE WAS SOME MORE INTEREST IN DOING MORE GOOSE MANAGEMENT.
SO I THINK STAFF HAD BROUGHT THAT UP WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT WHAT OTHER THINGS CAN WE LOOK AT TO BETTER MANAGE OUR PARKS BECAUSE THAT, YEAH.
AND SO THAT WOULD FALL MORE, WE HAVE A WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT THIS COMMITTEE AND OR THE ECOLOGY COMMITTEE REVIEW OR? YEAH, I MEAN, WE COULD, YEAH, IF THAT'S SOMETHING YOU'D LIKE TO HEAR ABOUT, YEAH, OUR WILDLIFE PROGRAM COULD BRING A.
PRESENTATION ON WHAT WE'RE DOING FOR GOOSE MANAGEMENT.
I MEAN, THAT'S SOMETHING WE HAVE AN ACTIVE KIND OF WORKING GROUP NOW WITH STAFF DISCUSSING THAT, BUT IT HASN'T.
TYPICALLY, THE ECOLOGY COMMITTEE HAS MORE AREAS OF PESTICIDE USE AND HERBICIDE USE AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO THEN, YES, SO THEN I JUST HAVE THAT QUESTION THEN ABOUT YELLOW JACKETS AND GOPHERS.
I WONDER, YOU KNOW, WHERE IS THAT LINE BETWEEN WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AND.
WELL, THAT'S AN INTERESTING ONE.
OKAY, SO THOSE, BUT THOSE THINGS ARE.
REGULATED HERE BECAUSE THEY'RE MANAGED WITH REGULATED PESTICIDES.
AND SO WITH YELLOW JACKETS, THERE'S A BEE BOPPER THAT'S A REGISTERED PRODUCT THAT HAS TO BE REVIEWED AND APPROVED BEFORE USAGE, SO IPM IS INVOLVED IN WRITING THE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE USAGE OF THAT PRODUCT.
GOPHERS ARE IN HERE BECAUSE WE DO HELP MANAGE THEM, AND THERE IS SOME CROSSOVER THERE BETWEEN WILDLIFE, ECOLOGICAL SERVICES, AND IPM.
ALL OF THOSE PROGRAMS WORK ON GOPHER AND RODENT MANAGEMENT.
THERE'S BEEN INCREASING INVOLVEMENT, THOUGH, OF WILDLIFE, MAINLY BECAUSE WE'VE LOST SOME OF THE TOOLS WE USED TO USE.
SO THIS USED TO BE A BIGGER PART OF THIS PRESENTATION.
THERE WAS A PRODUCT CALLED DIFASINONE THAT WE USED TO USE THAT WAS A SECOND-GENERATION ANTICOAGULANT THAT WAS BANNED FOR THE USE.
IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF, TWO YEARS AGO, MAYBE? A YEAR AND A HALF, TWO YEARS AGO? YEAH.
AND SO THAT WAS A PRIMARY PRODUCT WE'D USE, AND WE WOULD REPORT ON THAT EVERY YEAR.
AND SO THAT WAS MORE PROMINENT IN THIS REPORT BECAUSE OF THAT PRODUCT BEING USED.
BUT SINCE WE WERE NO LONGER ALLOWED TO USE THAT PRODUCT, IPM IS HELPING ADVISE ON CONTROL METHODS AND THINGS.
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AND SO WE'RE NO LONGER USING ANY CHEMICAL METHODS OF CONTROL OF GOPHERS.WE'RE LOOKING AT TRAPPING AND THINGS LIKE THAT TO MANAGE.
THE DAMAGE FROM PRIMARILY GOPHERS AND GROUND SQUIRRELS ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT CAUSE THE MOST DAMAGE IN OUR PARK.
BUT OFTEN, THOUGH, WE NEED TO PUT THAT INTO CONTEXT.
WE'RE NOT TRYING TO ERADICATE THOSE POPULATIONS.
WE'RE ONLY MANAGING THERE WHERE THEY CREATE A PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE OR AN IMPACT TO INFRASTRUCTURE.
YOU KNOW, FOR THE 99% OF OUR LANDS, WE WANT GROUND SQUIRRELS TO THRIVE BECAUSE THEY'RE A GREAT PART OF THE ECOSYSTEM.
AND I SUPPOSE WITH THE GROUND CIRCLE OR GROUND.
SQUIRRELS, THERE'S ALWAYS A CIRCLE OF LIFE, RIGHT? I KNOW A LOT OF OUR RAPTOR SPECIES AND OTHER BIRDS TEND TO, I GUESS, TOY THE SQUIRRELS.
SO THERE'S ALSO THAT ASPECT OF THINGS.
BUT YES, SOMETIMES THE SQUIRRELS IN TERMS OF INFRASTRUCTURE OR THREAT TO, I GUESS, HUMAN HEALTH.
YEAH, I MEAN, IF THERE'S AN AREA OF WILDLIFE FEEDING OR THE PUBLIC STARTS FEEDING WILDLIFE, THEN THEY GET COMFORTABLE AND START APPROACHING PEOPLE AND THINGS HAPPEN, SO WE HAVE TO DO A LITTLE BIT MORE MANAGEMENT AND BETTER EDUCATION IN THOSE AREAS.
LIKE A LOT OF AREAS, WE'VE BEEN PRIORITIZING DUMPSTER REPLACEMENTS IN AREAS WHERE WE HAVE HIGH GROUND SQUIRREL POPULATIONS, SO WE HAVE THE BEAR SAVER TRASH CANS THAT THE GROUND SQUIRRELS CAN'T GET INTO AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR PRESENTING TODAY.
IT IS REALLY GREAT TO SEE THAT WE HAVE SUCH A DEEP BENCH WITHIN OUR IPM AND ECOLOGICAL SERVICES TEAMS, AND IT'S REALLY NICE TO GET TO KNOW EACH OF YOU IN DIFFERENT WAYS THROUGH THESE PRESENTATIONS.
SO I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS, NOT BEING ON THE ECOLOGICAL COMMITTEE, BUT BEING A CHAMPION OF IPM PLANS THROUGHOUT CONTRA COSTA COUNTY.
CAN YOU PUT THE CHART BACK UP OF THE OUNCES OF HERBICIDE PER? ACRE I IN OUR HISTORY REPORT IT DOESN'T IT'S NOT CLEAR AND YOU WENT THROUGH IT QUICKLY ON ME WHEN DID WE ACTUALLY AT ONE POINT YOU PASSED IT THE THE ONE THAT HAS THE LUMP IN IT? SHE'S ALMOST THERE ONE MORE.
YEAH THAT ONE I WAS TRYING TO REMEMBER WHEN WE PASSED, AND ONE OF THE SLIDES, TOO, YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU'RE SPRAYING FOR SAFETY AROUND BARBECUES AND STUFF, BUT WE PASSED, I REMEMBER, A PESTICIDE BAN IN PICNIC AREAS IN A CERTAIN YEAR.
I WAS WONDERING WHAT YEAR THAT WAS, BECAUSE IF YOU LOOK, THERE WAS KIND OF A DROP IN 2018 TO 2021, AND WE WENT WITH MORE OF A MECHANICAL PULL.
IS THAT IMPACTING THAT, OR WHAT MADE IT GO DOWN IN 2021? I THINK YOU EVEN SAID IT, BUT YOU SAID IT FAST, AND I MISSED IT.
SO I UNFORTUNATELY DID NOT MENTION THE DECREASE FROM 2019 TO 2021.
I DID BRIEFLY MENTION THE UPTICK FROM 2021 TO 2022, BECAUSE THAT WAS THE BAY AREA TREE DIEBACK THAT OCCURRED.
AND MAYBE MATT MIGHT HAVE SOME INFORMATION AS TO WHY THE HERBICIDE USAGE DROPPED BETWEEN THOSE YEARS.
EXCUSE ME, WHAT YEARS ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? I MEAN, I KNOW WHAT'S ON THE GRAPH, BUT WHEN YOU JUST SAID THAT.
WELL, I'M CURIOUS WHEN WE DID THAT BAN IN OUR PARKS AND IF THAT'S RELATING IN THIS GRAPH IN SOME WAY.
YEAH, I THINK THERE'S A COUPLE THINGS HAPPENING IN THAT DIP.
SO I THINK THERE WAS JUST GENERAL LESS USAGE IN 2020 AND 21, I THINK ALSO BECAUSE STAFF'S WORK WAS ALSO LIMITED, I THINK, IN SOME OF THOSE WAYS.
SO I THINK THAT IS PART OF THAT DIP.
I THINK IT WOULD HAVE, LIKE I WENT BACK AND LOOKED BECAUSE IT WOULD HAVE PREDATED, LIKE OUR GRAPH THAT WE HAVE EARLIER IN THIS PRESENTATION, IT'S JUST A FIVE-YEAR GRAPH OF GLYPHOSATE USAGE.
AND A LOT OF THOSE THINGS ARE, THOSE AREN'T IN PUBLIC AREAS WE'RE USING.
AND THAT ONE SPIKE, THE REASON IT'S HIGHER IS BECAUSE OF A PROJECT LAST YEAR, I THINK COYOTE HILLS AND OTHERS, THERE WERE THESE LARGE-SCALE RESTORATION PROJECTS IN AREAS THAT THE PUBLIC WASN'T PRESENT THAT WE HAD TO USE THAT PRODUCT.
BUT THAT DOESN'T SHOW, LIKE THE DIP FROM THE BAN WOULD HAVE HAPPENED BEFORE.
BEFORE THE RIGHT RIGHT UM OH YEAH YOU'RE SINGING SO THAT 2021-22 IS PROBABLY CONSISTENT WITH COVID COMING OH THAT AND THEN THE BAN AND THEN WE'VE HAD A FEW SPECIAL PROJECTS IN THERE SO WELL WE BUT YOU'RE NOT SEEING THE DIP BECAUSE WE'RE NOT SHOWING THE GLYPHOSATE IN THAT GRAPH FROM THE 2017-18 LIKE THE PREDATING BEFORE WE BANNED IT AND SO WE COULD TALK WE COULD SHOW YOU THAT AND I THINK THAT JUST GETS SINCE THIS IS EVERYTHING TOTAL IN THIS GRAPH IT IT KIND OF MASKS THAT A LITTLE BIT.
AND THOSE OTHER TRENDS, I THINK THE 18 TO 19 IS PROBABLY PART OF THAT, LIKE THAT, PROBABLY PART OF THAT.
AND THEN COVID DROPPED IT AGAIN.
I THINK I ONLY ASKED NOT TO DIG OR TO OVERANALYZE THE DATA, BUT THE WHOLE POINT OF IPM PLANNING IS TO FIND HOW NOT TO USE
[02:00:02]
PESTICIDES IF WE CAN STOP IT.I APPRECIATED THE OTHER INFORMATION ABOUT HOW YOU'RE CUTTING TREES AND THERE'S OTHER WAYS TO MANAGE, QUOTE, PESTS WITHOUT HERBICIDE OR PESTICIDES.
BUT THAT MAYBE THERE WAS AN OPPORTUNITY THERE TO LEARN, OR IT SOUNDS LIKE IN SOME OF THE CASES LIKE COYOTE HILLS, IT'S PROBABLY A ONE-TIME APPLICATION THAT YOU WON'T SEE AGAIN.
IS THAT...? AS THE VEGETATION GETS ESTABLISHED, IT WILL VERY MUCH REDUCE, AS IT GETS ESTABLISHED.
AND AT SOME POINT, IT SHOULD BE A STABLE, AND SO WE WOULDN'T NEED TO USE ANY HERBICIDE ONCE THE RESTORATION IS SORT OF COMPLETE.
I MEAN, AT ONE POINT, I WAS PRETTY INVOLVED IN, I KNOW EAST BAY PARKS, AND I'M SURE YOU RECALL, WAS PRETTY UNDER FIRE BY THE...
PESTICIDE ACTION NETWORK AND PARENTS FOR A SAFER ENVIRONMENT ABOUT OUR USE OF PESTICIDES.
AND THE EPORTAL ADDRESSED SOME OF THEIR CONCERNS.
THE LAW, I'M FROM US EPA, I ACTUALLY WORKED IN FIFRA FOR A WHILE, REQUIRES TRACKING OF THE CHEMICALS.
AND IT WAS HARD WITH ALL OF OUR PARKS, LIKE WITH SO MUCH OF OUR WORK, TO TRY TO GET IT ALL IN ONE PLACE.
SO I THINK YOU'VE DONE A GOOD JOB OVER THE YEARS TO GET THAT EPORTAL TOGETHER, NOT JUST TO COORDINATE WITHIN STAFF, BUT TO COORDINATE AND COMPLY WITH THE LAW.
THE FEEDBACK WE GOT THAT IT WAS HARD TO GET TOTALS.
I THINK WHAT'S STILL HARD TO UNDERSTAND FOR ME IS TALKING ABOUT IT IN OUNCES, TOO, BECAUSE ONCE YOU MIX IT AT THE PARTS PER MILLION OR PERCENT LEVEL AND SPRAY IT, WE'RE PUTTING HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF GALLONS OF WATER OUT THERE.
AND I ATTENDED A NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY RECENTLY, AND THEY'RE FINDING OVER TIME WITH GLYPHOSATE AND OTHER COMPOUNDS THAT THE BYPRODUCTS ARE MORE DANGEROUS THAN THE CHEMICAL ITSELF.
AND THAT TRYING TO ROTATE OUT AND NOT USE THEM AS MUCH AS WE CAN.
I IMAGINE THAT'S ALL IN OUR IPM PLAN OF HOW WE DO THAT.
BUT I'M HOPING THAT THE ANSWER IS THAT WE EXPECT THE NUMBER TO GO DOWN NEXT YEAR AGAIN.
I MEAN, I WOULD HOPE SO, BUT I DON'T, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT DEPENDS ON THE WORK PLAN AND WHAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF FUELS MANAGEMENT GOING ON OUT THERE.
BUT I THINK THERE'S SOME THINGS WE'VE DONE, EVEN THOUGH WE'VE BEEN DOING MORE FUELS MANAGEMENT IN THE LAST FEW YEARS, WE'VE CHANGED SOME OF THE FORMULATIONS.
SO WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF HERBICIDE USED, EVEN THOUGH WE'RE DOING MORE ACRES OF FUELS MANAGEMENT FOR EUCALYPTUS TREATMENT.
PRIMARILY WE WOULD USE HERBICIDE AND FUELS MANAGEMENT AS EUCALYPTUS BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT THEM TO RE-SPROUT.
OR WE TREAT THE RE-SPROUTS SO WE DON'T GET REGROWTH OF A WHOLE NEW TREE.
WELL, I REALLY DID APPRECIATE IT.
I DID NOT SEE THE REVIEW OVER FIVE YEARS IN THE PAST EITHER, SO THAT PRESENTATION AND HAVING TO SEE AND TRACK AND SEE WHAT WE'RE DOING, THERE'S DISCUSSION ABOUT.
CATTLE VERSUS SPRAYING AND DATA AND GALLONS IS SOMETHING I'D STILL LIKE TO SEE.
THE OTHER QUESTION I HAD, HOLD ON.
YEAH, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IT'S FUNNY, WHEN I WAS LOOKING AT THE 2020-2021 DECREASE, BOTH ON THIS ONE AND THE PREVIOUS CHART, I ALSO THOUGHT ABOUT DROUGHT YEARS VERSUS RAIN YEARS.
AND ALSO WITH THE INCREASE, YOU KNOW, 2022-2023, YOU KNOW, WE GO FROM EXTREME DROUGHT TO EXTREME RAIN.
AND I WOULD IMAGINE THAT THAT EXTREME RAIN...
OR THAT SWITCH COULD ALSO LEAD TO THE POSSIBILITY OF NEEDING TO USE MORE OF THE HERBICIDE.
WE DIDN'T INCLUDE IT HERE, AND WE HAVEN'T.
I DON'T KNOW IF WE'VE DONE IT FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS.
WE'VE TRIED TO TRACK THAT IN THE PAST, AND THE GENERAL TREND YOU'RE DESCRIBING IS ACCURATE.
BUT SOME YEARS, I MEAN, LIKE IN DROUGHT TIMES, IT COULD GO DOWN.
BUT ALSO, I MEAN, WAIT, I SAID THAT, AND THEN MAYBE THAT WAS BEFORE THE TREE DIED.
BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IT WAS THE END OF THAT, AND THEN THAT'S WHEN WE HAD TO, LIKE, THAT STARTED HAPPENING.
WE HAD TO ADD MORE BECAUSE OF THE DROUGHT.
BEFORE THAT, AND MAYBE THE 2010 TO 2018 PERIOD, I THINK WE WERE STARTING TO END UP BEING A DROUGHT.
BUT I KNOW WE'VE TRIED TO LOOK AT THAT IN THE PAST, AND THERE HAVE BEEN SOME TRENDS THAT JUST FOR CERTAIN VEGETATION TYPES, WE DO SEE MORE IN A HIGH RAIN YEAR.
BUT I GUESS THE DROUGHT CHANGED THINGS.
THE SEVERE DROUGHT ALSO CHANGED THAT.
YEAH, AND THEN ALSO RELATED TO OUR EARLIER AGENDA ITEM ABOUT WILDFIRE, I KNOW WE HAD PRETTY SEVERE WILDFIRES IN THIS AREA IN 2020.
AND SO THAT COULD ALSO THEN, I'M GUESSING.
AND SO MAYBE IT MIGHT BE JUST GOOD TO CONFIRM THIS, BUT IF, YOU KNOW, AN AREA IS SUBJECT TO WILDFIRE, THERE MIGHT NOT BE THEN AS MUCH GROWTH AND NEED FOR HERBICIDE ON THAT LAND, POTENTIALLY? POTENTIALLY.
I THINK THOSE AREAS THAT DID BURN WERE AREAS WE DON'T TYPICALLY TREAT OR MANAGE BECAUSE THEY WERE MORE OF JUST THE TRUE WILDLANDS.
AND SO UNLESS THERE WAS AN EMERGING NEW THREAT SPECIES THAT WE DIDN'T WANT TO SPREAD TO OTHER PARKS, WE TYPICALLY DON'T SPRAY IN THOSE AREAS.
THE QUESTION WAS NOT RELATED TO THE TOXIC PESTICIDES.
ACTUALLY, I HAVE ONE RELATED TO THAT, TOO.
BUT ON THE SUDDEN OAK DEATH, WHAT TWO PARKS HAVE IT IN IT? YOU MENTIONED THERE WERE TWO PARKS.
SO THE GARBALOTTO LAB INITIALLY DETECTED THE NA2 PATHOGEN FIRST
[02:05:03]
IN TILDEN IN FIVE TREES AND THEN ONE TREE IN HUCKLEBERRY.AFTER WE DID OUR INITIAL SOD BLITZ, WITHIN THE DISTRICT, WE FOUND THAT THERE WERE MORE TREES IN TILDEN ALONG GRIZZLY PEAK ROAD THAT WERE INFECTED WITH NA2, A FEW MORE IN SIBLEY, AND STILL THAT ONE, MAYBE TWO IN HUCKLEBERRY.
AND WHAT IS THE STRATEGY THERE TO KEEP THAT FROM SPREADING? IS THERE AN OPTION? DO YOU TAKE DOWN THE TREE? I MEAN, THAT'S KIND OF ALARMING TO ME.
TO KNOW THAT WE'VE GOT ANOTHER MUTANT.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU COMBINE THE DATA OF OUR SUDDEN OAK DEATH, HOW HEALTHY THOSE PARKS ARE WITH THIS DATA THAT YOU HAVE.
IS THERE A PLAN TO PROTECT TILDEN, HUCKLEBERRY, AND SIBLEY? WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU FIND IT? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
SO OUR FIRST STRATEGY, OF COURSE, IS DOING THE MONITORING TO SEE WHERE IT'S PRESENT.
REALLY GREAT BECAUSE IT GOES BACK TO 2008 WHEN THE GARBOLATO LAB STARTED THIS PROJECT.
IT HAS DATA SINCE 2008 THAT SHOWS WHERE THE FIRST STRAIN IS.
SO IN AREAS WHERE FOLKS HAVE ALREADY COLLECTED DATA, GRANTED FOLKS WILL HAVE HAD TO GO INTO THE PARKS AND COLLECT DATA, WE CAN SEE WHERE THE FIRST STRAIN IS PRESENT AND OVERLAY THAT WITH THE NEW DATA POINTS THAT WE COLLECTED LAST YEAR.
GRANTED, WHEN WE DID THE SURVEY LAST YEAR, THEY REPORT ON BOTH STRAINS.
SO IN SOME AREAS, YOU'LL SEE THERE IS THE PATHOGEN PRESENT IN PLACES WHERE WE EXPECTED.
I THINK WITHIN THE EAST BAY, WILDCAT WAS THE FIRST PARK TO HAVE IT PRESENT, AND IT HAS BEEN SPREAD THROUGH THE EAST BAY HILLS.
IT'S NOT EVERYWHERE, AND IT DOESN'T GO EAST.
SO WE HAVE THAT TEMPERATURE LIMIT, WHICH THE LAB HAD TALKED ABOUT.
IT DOESN'T TOLERATE TEMPERATURES PAST, DON'T QUOTE ME ON THIS, 75 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT OR SO, WHEREAS THE NEW STRAIN HAS A HIGHER TEMPERATURE THRESHOLD, SO IT CAN EXIST IN THE ENVIRONMENT UP TO 85, 90 DEGREES.
AND SO IN AREAS WHERE WE HAVE IT NOW, WE MIGHT SEE SUDDEN OAK DEATH NOW REACHING AREAS THAT ARE MORE CENTRAL.
IN TERMS OF MANAGEMENT, THE GARBOLATO LAB HAS GIVEN US A FEW MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES.
THE YOU FIRST IS REMOVING TREES, BUT REMOVING TREES CAN BE EXPENSIVE, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY'RE LARGE, MATURE BAY TREES.
AND SO WHAT THEY RECOMMENDED WAS PUTTING IN PLACE THIS ONE KILOMETER BUFFER, WHICH WE HAVE DONE, AND IT REALLY LIMITS THE MOVEMENT OF INFECTED MATERIAL IN AND OUT OF THAT BUFFER.
SO OUR PARK OPERATIONS HAS BEEN INFORMED AND GIVEN GUIDELINES AND BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES ON IF THEY ARE DOING ANY KIND OF TREE WORK.
IN THESE AREAS, IF IT'S A BAY TREE SPECIFICALLY, TO LEAVE THE MATERIAL ON SITE, LEAVE THE FOLIAGE ON SITE, BECAUSE THAT IS WHERE THE PATHOGEN EXISTS, AND WE CAN REALLY STOP IT FROM SPREADING BY FOLLOWING AND IMPLEMENTING THESE BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES, CLEANING TOOLS, CLEANING EQUIPMENT, SO THAT IT DOESN'T GET SPREAD THAT WAY.
AND IT BEGS THE QUESTION THAT WE WILL PROBABLY NEED...
MANAGEMENT STRATEGY MOVING FORWARD ON HOW TO BEST TACKLE SOME OF THESE INFESTED BAY TREES AND HOW WE CAN BEST REMOVE THEM IN A WAY THAT IS SUSTAINABLE FOR OUR PARKS.
YEAH THAT'S A VERY THOROUGH SUMMARY AND ANSWER.
I MEAN IT'S SUCH A BIG BIG DEAL AND WHEN YOU COMBINE THE TWO TOGETHER AND CLIMATE CHANGE AND A LONGER SEASON FOR THEM TO DIE AND THE BAY LAUREL BEING THE I GUESS THE VECTOR AND IT'S DAUNTING.
WE'VE GOT SO MANY ACRES OF LAND THAT WE NEED TO CARE FOR AND TO HEAR BETWEEN ALL THE DIFFERENT DISEASES AND TO HEAR EARLIER, YOU KNOW, THE HEALTH OF OUR FORESTS AND WHAT THEY'RE FACING.
AND YET WE NEED TO CLEAR AND CUT AND HELP THEM WHERE WE CAN.
I ACTUALLY WASN'T AWARE THERE WAS A NEW SOD OUT THERE, A STRAIN.
I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG IT'S BEEN AROUND.
ALL THE PRECAUTIONS THAT STAFF IS TAKING IS GOING TO HELP.
YEAH, I DO HAVE A BIT REAL QUICK TO ADD.
WE PUT THOSE SAME RESTRICTIONS WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
WE TALKED ABOUT WHEN THEY'RE DOING FUELS MANAGEMENT IN THOSE TREATMENT WITHIN THAT ONE-KILOMETER ZONE, SO THEY'VE INCORPORATED THE SAME BMPS INTO THEIR PRESCRIPTIONS.
BUT ONE OTHER ASPECT IS THAT WE'VE NOW, WHEN WE'RE DESIGNING SOME OF THOSE TREATMENTS IN OAK BAY WOODLANDS OR EUCALYPTUS FOREST WHERE THERE'S THE BAYS AROUND THESE OAKS, WE HAVE ASKED THEM AT TIMES TO REMOVE SMALLER BAYS AROUND THE LARGE OAKS BECAUSE WE KNOW THE SMALLER BAYS HAVE MORE OF
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THE POTENTIAL PATHOGEN THAN THE LARGER ONES.SO WE'RE NOT TRYING TO CONVERT IT TO OAK WOODLAND NOW AND REMOVE THE BAYS FROM THE FOREST.
IT'S JUST WHERE WE HAVE SMALL BAYS AROUND LARGE OAK TREES, THESE CENTURY-OLD OAK TREES, WE'RE TRYING TO JUST DO SOME REMOVAL OF THOSE SMALLER TREES TO PREVENT THAT DISEASE SPREAD INTO THE LARGER OAK TREES.
SO IT'S ON A VERY SMALL SCALE.
WE HAVEN'T DONE THAT COMPREHENSIVELY, BUT WHEN WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY, WHEN WE'RE DOING THE WORK, WE'RE TRYING TO INCORPORATE THAT INTO OUR MANAGEMENT FOR FUELS MANAGEMENT.
WELL, THERE'S SO MANY QUESTIONS IN MY HEAD, BUT THAT'S ENOUGH QUESTIONS, I GUESS.
DID YOU HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION? I'M JUST STRUCK, YOU KNOW, TALKING ABOUT THIS, I KNOW IT'S NOT EXACTLY THE SAME AS THE SET IN OAK DEATH, BUT IN THE EARLIER PRESENTATION, THE PHOTO OF THE CONIFER STAND.
IN OREGON AND WASHINGTON AND HOW IT'S 1.2 MILLION ACRES THAT WAS AFFECTED BY THAT OR 50% OR MORE FOR MORTALITY, IT SAYS.
SO WHEN WE THINK ABOUT HEALTHY FOREST AND FOREST MANAGEMENT, I KNOW WE'RE VERY PROUD OF OUR 126,000 ACRES, BUT TO SEE THAT SOME OTHER PEST, I GUESS YOU COULD SAY INFECTED 1.2 MILLION ACRES JUST NORTH OF US, I THINK IS SOMETHING TO CONSIDER.
AND SO AND, YOU KNOW, WITH THAT, WHEN WE'RE THINKING ABOUT FOREST MANAGEMENT AND HEALTHY FORESTS, SOME OF THE EFFORTS IN REGARDS TO THINKING ABOUT SUDDEN OAK DEATH, I MEAN, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE'RE ALSO CONSIDERING GOING FORWARD AS POSSIBLY MORE OR ADDITIONAL, YOU KNOW, PARK FOREST MANAGEMENT TYPE OF PROGRAMS? OR MIGHT THAT JUST BE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT EARLIER WITH REINHARDT REDWOOD? I MEAN.
YEAH, I THINK WE'RE CERTAINLY LOOKING AT THAT WITH THE OVERALL VEG STRATEGY AND LOOKING AT THE DATA WHERE WE HAVE THE HIGHEST RISK FUELS MANAGEMENT AREAS AND TRYING TO PRIORITIZE AREAS THAT NEED TREATMENT AND WE NEED TO DO MORE OF THOSE PLANS.
BUT I THINK WITH THE INVASIVE SHOT HOLE BORE, THE THING WE'RE LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW IS JUST THE SURVEILLANCE TO KNOW IF IT DOES COME INTO OUR PARKS, WE'D BE READY TO RESPOND.
AND THEN ONCE IT DOES, LIKE HOW DO WE...
WE COULD DO SOME QUICK MANAGEMENT WITH OUR EXISTING FUNDS, BUT WE WILL NEED TO POTENTIALLY DO A LARGER SCALE MANAGEMENT PLAN SO IT DOESN'T SPREAD TO THE REST OF OUR LAND.
SO WE'RE KEEPING AN EYE ON THAT, BUT I THINK WE DON'T HAVE AN EXACT MANAGEMENT PLAN YET BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW THE SCALE AND IT HASN'T QUITE GOTTEN HERE YET.
BUT I THINK IT'S SOMETHING WE'RE AWARE OF.
IF IT DOES, WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO DO THAT AND THEN FIND FUNDING TO DO BETTER MANAGEMENT.
I GUESS I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION, PROBABLY FOR MATT.
WELL, ALL OF THAT AND THE GOOD COMMENT THAT DR.
SAN JUAN JUST BROUGHT UP, AND I'VE ASKED EARLIER, TOO, ABOUT AN INVENTORY, A TREE INVENTORY.
I KNOW WE JUST APPROVED, THE BOARD JUST APPROVED SOME TYPE OF GIS FOREST THAT I WAS TOLD COULD BE USED FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS FOR DETERMINING THE HEALTH OF THE FOREST FOR FIRE RISK, BUT CLEARLY IT COULD ALSO, LIKE THAT PICTURE YOU JUST HELD UP, SHOW US WHERE THE TREES ARE DEAD.
AND THERE WAS A I THINK IT'S BEEN FIVE YEARS NOW SINCE WE'VE BOUGHT THE CARBONIZER AND THE STUDIES WENT OUT ALL OVER THE BAY AREA.
A MILLION TREES ARE DEAD IN THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARKS.
IS THERE AN INVENTORY OR UPDATE FOR THAT AT SOME POINT THAT MATT'S LIKE, ARE YOU GOING TO TAKE IT OR? LET'S ADVANCE TO THE LAST SLIDE.
TO ACTUALLY INVENTORY THOSE TREES.
WELL, WITH THE STUDY WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, WE WILL ASSESS 02,000 ACRES.
LIKE THAT ARE THE HIGHEST PRIORITY AREAS, AND THEN DO ON-THE-GROUND PLANNING FOR THE OTHER ABOUT 200 ACRES, LIKE ACTUALLY FLAGGING AND PLANS FOR MANAGEMENT OF THOSE 200 ACRES THAT ARE IDENTIFIED AS NEW HIGH-PRIORITY AREAS.
BUT THEN WE CAN USE ALL THAT DATA WITH THOSE HIGH-PRIORITY AREAS, AND THEY'RE NOT I MEAN, WE KEEP TALKING ABOUT IT'S FOR FUELS MANAGEMENT, BUT IT'S ALSO FOR BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY.
AND LOOKING AT THAT STUDY, TRYING TO SAY WHERE ARE WE GOING TO GET THE MOST BANG FOR OUR BUCK, WHERE WE CAN REMOVE FUELS AND ALSO IMPROVE HABITAT. SO WE'RE LOOKING AT THOSE DUAL GOALS IN THAT STUDY. AND THEN WE CAN TEAR OFF THAT AND DO MORE OF THESE INVENTORIES. WE HAVEN'T IDENTIFIED A BUDGET FOR THAT NOW, BUT I THINK THAT IS THE GOAL IS TO USE THAT PRIORITIZATION INFORMATION TO THEN DO MORE OF THE INVENTORYING AND PLANNING OF WHERE WE NEED TO DO MORE OF THIS MANAGEMENT FOR PROTECTION OF RESOURCES.
BUT ALSO, I WANTED TO ALSO HIGHLIGHT SOMETHING.
WE DIDN'T INCLUDE IN THE PRESENTATION, BUT EARLIER THIS YEAR, ONE OF OUR REGULATORS, THE ALAMEDA COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, HOSTED A TOUR WITH THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF PESTICIDE REGULATION. AND THEY WERE TOURING AROUND THE COUNTY AND LOOKING AT VARIOUS DIFFERENT FACILITIES. BUT PART OF THAT TOUR, THEY WANTED TO COME AND MEET WITH US AND TALK ABOUT OUR IPM PLAN. AND THE COUNTY THOUGHT WE WERE A GOOD EXAMPLE IN THE COUNTY OF HAVING A GOOD, STRONG IPM PLAN AND MANAGEMENT OF HOW WE WERE JUST OPERATING OUR LANDS. AND SO THEY SAW US AS A MODEL PROGRAM, AND DPR WAS ALSO VERY IMPRESSED. SO ONE OF
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THEIR ASSISTANT DIRECTORS WAS HERE AND WAS REALLY IMPRESSED BY THE PROGRAM. AND SO WE'RE GOING TO BE MEETING WITH THE DPR STAFF. WE HAVEN'T GOT IT SCHEDULED YET BUT THEY'VE REACHED OUT AND THEY WANT TO MEET WITH US MORE AND BETTER UNDERSTAND OUR PROGRAM AND THEY DID PULL ME ASIDE AND SAY THIS IS GREAT YOU KNOW YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'RE BEHIND AND YOU'RE NOT GETTING ENOUGH DONE, THERE'S ALWAYS MORE YOU COULD DO AND THERE'S JUST IMPROVING BUT YOU REALLY ARE LEADING THE WAY FOR THE PROGRAMS WE'VE SEEN YOU ARE REALLY A LEADER IN THE STATE AND WE'D LIKE TO KEEP WORKING WITH YOU AND LEARN FROM YOU AND THEY DID EVEN SUGGEST WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO APPLY FOR SOME GRANTS IN THE FUTURE SO WE'RE STARTING TO REALLY EXPLORE THAT AND UH DO MORE DIRECTLY WITH THE STATE DPR BECAUSE THEY JUST WANT TO HELP US WITH OUR PROGRAM, AND THEY THINK WE CAN HELP THEM WITH THEIR OVERALL MANAGEMENT.SO IT'S GOING TO BE, I THINK, A GREAT DEVELOPING RELATIONSHIP, AND SO WE'LL GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON THAT NEXT YEAR AFTER WE KIND OF DO SOME MORE OF THIS COORDINATION. WE'VE GOT OUR PERSON. ASK A DUMB QUESTION. WHAT DOES DPR STAND FOR? OH, DEPARTMENT OF PESTICIDE REGULATION. SORRY.
YEAH, NO, THAT'S A VERY GOOD QUESTION.
THE STATE VERSION OF FIFRA IS AT THE FEDS, RIGHT? I BELIEVE IT'S PART OF CALEPA, BUT YEAH. ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS OUT THERE? NO PUBLIC COMMENTS. OKAY, BACK TO THE BOARD. ANYTHING ELSE? THANK YOU. THIS HAS BEEN A REALLY GREAT CONVERSATION, THIS PRESENTATION AS WELL AS THE PREVIOUS TWO. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I'VE REALLY ENJOYED TODAY'S ALL OF OUR MEETINGS.
THANK YOU TO YOU FOR FILLING IN AND MATT AND EVERYBODY.
THANK YOU. GREAT WORK. REALLY APPRECIATE IT. DO WE HAVE ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS? NOT THAT I'M AWARE OF. OKAY. THEN OUR LAST SEVEN IS ADJOURNMENT. I ADJOURN THE MEETING AT 423. THANK YOU EVERYBODY.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.