Mount Sutro Open Space Reserve May 26, 2010 1 Agenda 1. Welcome - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

mount sutro open space reserve
SMART_READER_LITE
LIVE PREVIEW

Mount Sutro Open Space Reserve May 26, 2010 1 Agenda 1. Welcome - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Mount Sutro Open Space Reserve May 26, 2010 1 Agenda 1. Welcome and Introductions 2. Agenda Overview 3. Recap/Background 4. Community Planning Process 5. Demonstration Project Planning 6. Environmental Review (CEQA) 7. Next Steps 2 2001


slide-1
SLIDE 1

Mount Sutro Open Space Reserve

1 May 26, 2010

slide-2
SLIDE 2

2

  • 1. Welcome and Introductions
  • 2. Agenda Overview
  • 3. Recap/Background
  • 4. Community Planning Process
  • 5. Demonstration Project Planning
  • 6. Environmental Review (CEQA)
  • 7. Next Steps

Agenda

slide-3
SLIDE 3

2001 Management Plan

  • Objectives:

– Ensure public safety/property protection – Improve health of forest – Protect/expand native plants – Enhance wildlife habitat – Maintain scenic quality – Improve public access – Implement Management Plan

  • Framework, not blueprint, for managing Reserve

3

slide-4
SLIDE 4

2001 Management Plan

  • Phase 1 of long-term management program
  • Five types of actions:

– Hazardous tree removal – Eucalyptus thinning – Conversion planting – Native plant restoration/enhancement – Trail system improvements

  • Phase 1 actions in 32 various acres of Reserve
  • Annually phased work
  • Adaptive management strategy

4

slide-5
SLIDE 5

5

Three levels

  • f priorities
slide-6
SLIDE 6

Actions Taken Since 2001

Priority 1 actions complete (7 of 9):

  • Crestmont-Christopher, and Lower Medical

Center Way Hazardous Tree removal

  • Installation of Rotary Meadow, a native plant

demonstration area on the summit (combination of 3 Management Plan actions)

  • Aldea Screen Planting
  • Cleared and improved trails through the efforts
  • f Mount Sutro Stewards

6

slide-7
SLIDE 7

Actions Taken Since 2001 (cont.)

Priority 2 actions complete (1 of 4):

  • Edgewood, Surge Hazardous Tree removal

Priority 3 actions complete (3 of 7):

  • Upper Medical Center Way, East Aldea and

Chancellor’s Residence Hazardous Tree removal

7

slide-8
SLIDE 8

Additional Actions Taken Since 2001

  • Slope stabilization and native planting on hillside

slide (due to water pipe break) site above Medical Center Way

  • Tree and brush removal for construction of

Regeneration Medicine Building

  • Mount Sutro Stewards’ historical trail restoration
  • Non-UCSF project: SF Public Utilities

Commission pump house and pipeline project

8

slide-9
SLIDE 9

How Conditions Have Changed

  • Forest health has continued to decline
  • Fuel load has continued to increase
  • Fewer hazardous trees in a few limited

areas

  • Native plant garden at summit
  • Trail improvements but still incomplete

9

slide-10
SLIDE 10

2001 Adaptive Management Strategy

  • Demonstration projects prior to full-scale

implementation

  • Eucalyptus Thinning in 2-acre Area L (primary

demonstration project)

  • Eucalyptus Thinning in 0.5-acre Area P

(secondary demonstration project)

10

slide-11
SLIDE 11

2001 Adaptive Management Strategy

  • Conversion Planting in 7.6 total acres in

Areas B, C, D, F, J, K, N and O (summit, south ridge and east bowl/corridor) with variety of native plants

11

slide-12
SLIDE 12

Sutro Forest Goals and Objectives

  • SAFE
  • HEALTHY
  • AESTHETIC
  • USABLE

12

slide-13
SLIDE 13

SAFE

  • Reduce potential for

devastating wildfire

  • Provide emergency

response access

  • Remove hazardous trees

near trails, roads and structures

  • Improve trailside visibility

13

slide-14
SLIDE 14

HEALTHY

  • Reduce competition among trees

(growing space, soil water and fertility)

  • Remove diseased and unhealthy

trees

  • Increase growing space
  • Remove vines from tree trunks

14

slide-15
SLIDE 15

AESTHETIC

  • Maintain a forested setting
  • Maintain attractive, healthy trees
  • Improve visibility within forest
  • Provide views beyond forest
  • Privacy for neighbors

15

slide-16
SLIDE 16

USABLE

  • Maintain adequate path and

trailside clearance

  • Place logs for seating along trails

and to close unauthorized trails

  • Modify steep trail segments with

switchbacks

  • Enrich habitat and outdoor

experience

16

slide-17
SLIDE 17

17

slide-18
SLIDE 18

Examples of Other Eucalyptus Thinning Projects

18

slide-19
SLIDE 19

Highway 1 “13 Curves”

Point Reyes National Seashore Issues:

  • Fire safe access/egress/use for highway travelers
  • Enhance native bird habitat
  • Contain loss of native plants
  • Reduce damage to riparian systems

After Before

19

slide-20
SLIDE 20

Highway 1 “13 Curves”

continued

20

Prescriptions:

  • Remove ground and ladder fuels
  • Remove saplings under 10” in diameter
  • Treat stumps with Garlon
  • Remove subordinate trunks of multi-trunk trees
  • Clear trunks of loose bark, debris 10’ off ground

Results:

  • Very low return of understory to date
  • No tree failures due to thinning
  • No transfer of herbicide to adjacent trees
slide-21
SLIDE 21

Camino Del Canyon

Near Muir Woods National Monument Issues:

  • Fire safe access/egress for

residents

  • Reinforce/enhance

defensible space

  • Preserve historic tree

alignment

  • Contain loss of native plants
  • Prevent regrowth without

herbicides

Before After

21

slide-22
SLIDE 22

Camino Del Canyon

continued

22

Prescriptions:

  • Remove ground and ladder fuels
  • Remove saplings under 10” in diameter
  • Raise crowns to 10’+ above ground
  • Clear trunks of loose bark, debris up to 10’
  • Cover stumps with black plastic, wood chips

Results:

  • More open, accessible and safe forest
  • Removed 60% of eucalyptus stems
  • Stump kill was fully effective on covered stumps
  • Understory of poison oak, blackberry returned
slide-23
SLIDE 23

Dominican College

Issues:

  • Fire safe emergency access/evacuation routes
  • Fire hazard reduction for surrounding community
  • Reduction of ignition risks
  • Reduction of fire intensity/rate of spread

Prescriptions:

  • Remove ground and ladder fuels
  • Thin trees for equipment maintenance
  • Remove saplings under 8” in diameter
  • Clear trunks of loose bark, debris to 10’
  • Clear debris around remaining trees
  • No herbicides used

Before

23

slide-24
SLIDE 24

Dominican College

continued Results:

  • Nearby fire subsequent

to treatment was easily suppressed at site

  • Flat area maintained

with small tractor

  • Hillside not maintained

and remains hazardous

  • No tree failures with

thinning

After

24

slide-25
SLIDE 25

Vista Tiburon

Issues:

  • Reduce fire threat to surrounding homes
  • Remove or safety prune hazard trees
  • Reinforce and enhance defensible space
  • Preserve screening for higher residents
  • Preserve privacy for residents
  • Enhance habitat with native trees/shrubs
  • Retain forested setting

Before

25

slide-26
SLIDE 26

Vista Tiburon

Prescriptions:

  • Remove ground and ladder fuels
  • Remove subordinate eucalyptus reproduction
  • Raise crowns to 10’ above grade
  • Clear trunks of loose bark and debris to 10’
  • Prevent stump regrowth with herbicides
  • Cut sprout growth and kill stumps regularly

Results:

  • Removed 44% of eucalyptus stems
  • Stump kill was 100% - treatment

unknown

  • 40% of replacement vegetation survived

After

26

slide-27
SLIDE 27

Demonstration Project Planning

27

2001 Management Plan Proposal

slide-28
SLIDE 28

28

CEQA = California Environmental Quality Act University of California is “Lead Agency”

  • Responsible for carrying out project
  • Responsible for preparing CEQA

document

Environmental Review

slide-29
SLIDE 29

29

Purposes of CEQA

  • Inform governmental decision-makers and the

public about potential significant environmental effects of proposed activities

  • Identify ways to avoid or reduce significant impacts
  • Prevent significant impacts by requiring feasible

mitigation measures or alternatives CEQA documents are informational, not an approval

Environmental Review

slide-30
SLIDE 30

30

Preparers

  • UCSF staff
  • UC Office of the President staff
  • Consultants
  • Attorneys

Environmental Review

slide-31
SLIDE 31

31

Levels of CEQA Review

  • Exempt from CEQA
  • Not exempt from CEQA

Initial Study (“IS”) Negative Declaration (“Neg Dec”) Environmental Impact Report (“EIR”) Proposed project not exempt from CEQA

Environmental Review

slide-32
SLIDE 32

32

Examples of UCSF as Lead Agency

  • UCSF Long Range Development Plan

EIR

  • UCSF Medical Center at Mission Bay EIR
  • Helipad Operations SEIR
  • Osher Building EIR and Addendum
  • Regeneration Medicine Building Negative

Declaration

Environmental Review

slide-33
SLIDE 33

33

Mount Sutro Project Description

  • Phased implementation over 61 acres
  • 2-acre Demonstration area
  • South Ridge and Edgewood areas
  • Remainder of forest
  • Analyze range of potential management

activities to cover possible choices under “adaptive management”

Environmental Review

slide-34
SLIDE 34

34

CEQA Topics

  • Aesthetics
  • Agriculture
  • Air Quality

(incl. Greenhouse Gas)

  • Biology
  • Cultural
  • Geology
  • Hazards/Hazmat
  • Hydrology

Environmental Review

  • Land Use
  • Minerals
  • Noise
  • Population/Housing
  • Public Services
  • Recreation
  • Traffic
  • Utilities
slide-35
SLIDE 35

35

Community Concerns

  • Ecosystem disturbance
  • Insects, fungi, reptiles
  • Carbon sequestration
  • Historic elements
  • Increased fire hazard
  • Noise from power plant
  • Light spill

Environmental Review

  • Visual impacts
  • Herbicide use
  • Erosion
  • Wind
  • Vermin
  • Rock outcroppings
slide-36
SLIDE 36

36

Activities to-date exempt from CEQA

  • Maintenance of existing facilities, including landscaping
  • Pruning
  • Shrub/weed removal
  • Trail maintenance and improvements
  • Minor alterations to land
  • Hazardous tree removal
  • New gardening or landscaping
  • Native plant garden at summit
  • Accessory structures
  • Trail markers

Environmental Review

slide-37
SLIDE 37

37

Future activities exempt from CEQA

  • Ongoing maintenance
  • Trail maintenance and improvements
  • Hazardous tree removal
  • Maintenance and plantings at native plant garden

at summit

Environmental Review