Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Nicholas J. Calderon, Parks Director
Subject: Pescadero Creek County Park Forest Health and Wildfire Fuel Reduction Project
RECOMMENDATION:
title
Adopt a resolution authorizing:
A) The San Mateo Resource Conservation District (“RCD”), in partnership with the Parks Department, to implement planned forest management projects in Pescadero Creek County Park using CAL FIRE Forest Health Grant Program funds awarded to the RCD, pursuant to the Parks Department’s Climate and Habitat Resiliency Plan; and
B) The Parks Director, or the Parks Director’s Designee, to enter into an agreement with the RCD, in a form approved by the County Attorney, to offset the costs of the planned forest management projects at Pescadero Creek County Park by permitting the RCD and its contractor to remove and sell raw felled timber generated through the projects under the oversight of the Parks Department.
body
BACKGROUND:
In response to the CZU Lightning Complex Fire, the San Mateo County Parks Department (“Department”) developed the Climate and Habitat Resiliency Plan (“CHRP”) for Pescadero Creek County Park (the “park”). The CHRP was prepared for the Department by Auten Resource Consulting (“ARC”), a firm that specializes in modern forestry techniques that promote climate adaptability and fire resilience in natural ecosystems in the Santa Cruz Mountains. A Technical Advisory Committee comprised of subject matter experts from the Department, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (“CAL FIRE”), the RCD, Green Foothills, Peninsula Open Space Trust (“POST”), California Department of Fish and Wildlife (“CDFW”), and California State Parks assisted in the development of the CHRP.
The overarching goal of the CHRP is to promote the presence and enhancement of native species, habitats, and ecosystems in the park that are resilient to disturbance (i.e. wildfire, drought, and disease) and the impacts of climate change.
The CHRP provides a comprehensive framework for forest management in the park, including:
• Ecologically restorative forest health and fuels reduction activities.
• Forest density reduction projects through selective thinning of forest resources.
• Sensitive resource protection, impact avoidance, and mitigation measures.
• Long-term monitoring, education, and research opportunities.
Desired outcomes for these efforts include: the development of old growth redwood trees and habitat characteristics, the reduction of fire fuels that contribute to the threat of catastrophic wildfire, the promotion of carbon sequestration to combat climate change, the improvement of wildlife habitat including creation of additional high quality nesting habitat for the federally protected marbled murrelet, the increase of forest stand diversity, and the control/reduction of non-native invasive species. The Department also intends to create interpretive, educational, and research opportunities related to forest restoration and management.
At its December 6, 2022 meeting, the Board of Supervisors adopted the CHRP and directed the Department to present on any projects established in the CHRP prior to the implementation thereof.
DISCUSSION:
CAL FIRE Forest Health Grant
To initiate this high priority work on a large-scale, the Department partnered with the RCD and the YMCA of San Francisco (who owns and manages the neighboring Camp Jones Gulch property) to apply for approximately $5.5 million in CAL FIRE Forest Health Grant Program funds. This program funds active restoration and reforestation projects that promote more resilient forests, mitigate the effects of climate change, and protect communities from fire risk. As this project includes multiple property owners and requires technical expertise to permit and implement, the RCD was selected as the project lead and fiscal sponsor. In summer 2024, the RCD was notified that the project was selected for funding, and in October 2024, the RCD and CAL FIRE executed the grant agreement.
Project Scope of Work
The proposed project will utilize two scienced-based conservation treatment methods-selective thinning and mechanical mastication-to achieve its objectives. These treatment methods will: (1) mitigate the threat of wildfire by reducing the amount of fire fuels present in the park while retaining a mosaic of vegetation for wildlife habitat and (2) restore healthy forest ecosystems by reducing dead and dying trees and thinning overly dense and unhealthy tree stands allowing the remaining trees to grow larger and healthier by better accessing critical resources such as water and sunlight.
The portion of the project to occur in the park will be implemented in two phases and across 541 acres. Phase one will entail the mechanical mastication of approximately 430 acres. To create healthier forest conditions and reduce the amount of fire fuels present in the park, vegetation under eight inches in diameter will be masticated. This work will begin as early as August 2025. Phase two will entail selective thinning of 111 acres, targeting second-growth redwood and Douglas-fir trees that are between 18 and 30 inches in diameter. Upon completion of selective thinning, the 111 acres will be mechanically masticated to reduce excessive vegetation on the forest floor which hinders healthy ecosystem function and contributes to the spread and severity of wildfires.
The CHRP estimates that there are approximately 200-300 trees per acre parkwide. The target to achieve a healthier and more resilient forest structure is 100-150 trees per acre. During selective thinning activities, and in accordance with the standards established in the CHRP, at least 50 percent of trees between 18 and 30 inches in diameter will be retained. For this project no trees greater than 30 inches in diameter will be removed unless they are considered a safety hazard. By strategically removing the smaller trees, the Department will reduce competition for essential resource (i.e. water, sunlight, and soil nutrients) allowing the remaining trees to grow larger and healthier. This thinning work is anticipated to begin in the summer of 2026. It is important to note that while a reduction of approximately 50 percent of trees in this size range is the target to achieve a healthier and more resilient forest structure, the Department will likely remove fewer trees during this project and will monitor the effectiveness of the project; further forest restoration efforts will be implemented through future projects based on data collected during post-project monitoring.
Project Cost Offset
When adopting the CHRP, the Board of Supervisors expressed a willingness to sell timber that resulted from forest health and fuel reduction projects at the park provided that: (i) trees were only removed to improve the ecological function of the forest and to mitigate the threat of wildfire, and not for their commercial value; and (ii) any revenue generated from the sale of timber from the park would be used for the direct benefit of forest restoration at Pescadero Creek County Park.
In this spirit, to offset a portion of the project cost, it is proposed that the RCD’s licensed timber operator (to be selected through a competitive process) responsible for performing selective thinning activities would be authorized to remove and sell all felled redwood and Douglas fir trees that cannot be left on site as mulch or habitat features. Should the licensed timber operator not be authorized to remove and sell the specified timber, the Department would have to pay a contractor to remove, transport, and process the timber; this is not an eligible grant expense and the Department would bear the cost of this work. The licensed timber operator would be required to offset their project costs with revenue generated by the sale of timber, and any revenue in excess of that amount would be returned to offset other project costs; the licensed timber operator is only entitled to the amount equal to their work. It is anticipated that the value of this raw timber will enable the implementation of approximately 20 percent more restoration work than is feasible without this revenue. The Department and the RCD would memorialize this authorization in a form of agreement approved by the County Attorney. As the project lead, the RCD (working in partnership with the Department) would contract with the timber operator and be responsible for all contracting, accounting, and oversight.
A registered professional forester on contract with the County will be responsible for marking trees for removal pursuant to the parameters established in the CHRP and project permits. The licensed timber operator will have no influence on which trees are removed or retained and no trees will be removed for the purpose of financial gain. The above-referenced agreement between the Department and the RCD would memorialize these limitations/restrictions.
Permitting
The proposed selective thinning activities qualify for a CAL FIRE Forest Resilience Exemption under 14 CCR § 1038.3 and the California Forest Practice Act. The proposed mechanical mastication activities have been analyzed in accordance with the California Vegetation Treatment Program (CalVTP), a programmatic Environmental Impact Report (EIR) under the California Environmental Quality Act, which was approved by the California Board of Forestry in 2019.
PERFORMANCE MEASURE
|
Performance Measure |
FY2025-26 Target |
FY2026-27 Target |
FY2027-28 Target |
FY2028-29 Target |
FY2029-30 Target |
|
Acres Managed |
61 |
120 |
120 |
120 |
120 |
EQUITY IMPACT:
The project will offer tangible benefits to disadvantaged communities in the region by reducing the risk of wildfire, which can: adversely impact air quality and health conditions and threaten livelihoods around agriculture, forestry, and tourism.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The Department is contributing $200,000 in matching funds in order to receive the CAL FIRE Forest Health Grant, which is already accounted for in the Department’s FY 2024-25 Adopted Budget and will be included in future budgets. The remainder of the project is fully funded through the CAL FIRE Forest Health Grant awarded to the RCD. The cost offset from timber value from the project is approximately $553,400 which will reduce overall costs to implement this forest management project at the Park by approximately 20 percent.