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Mount Sutro Open Space Reserve 1 May 26, 2010
Mount Sutro Open Space Reserve
1
May 26, 2010
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
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
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
5
Three levels
of priorities
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
of Mount Sutro Stewards
6
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
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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
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
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)
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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
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Sutro ForestGoals and Objectives
• SAFE
• HEALTHY
• AESTHETIC
• USABLE
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SAFE
• Reduce potential for devastating wildfire
• Provide emergency response access
• Remove hazardous trees near trails, roads and structures
• Improve trailside visibility
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HEALTHY
• Reduce competition among trees (growing space, soil water and fertility)
• Remove diseased and unhealthy trees
• Increase growing space
• Remove vines from tree trunks
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AESTHETIC
• Maintain a forested setting
• Maintain attractive, healthy trees
• Improve visibility within forest
• Provide views beyond forest
• Privacy for neighbors
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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
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Examples of Other
Eucalyptus Thinning Projects
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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
AfterBefore
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Highway 1 “13 Curves”continued
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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
Camino Del CanyonNear 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
After21
Camino Del Canyoncontinued
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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
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 usedBefore 23
Dominican Collegecontinued
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
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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
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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 survivedAfter
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Demonstration Project Planning
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2001 Management Plan Proposal
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CEQA = California Environmental Quality Act
University of California is “Lead Agency”
• Responsible for carrying out project
• Responsible for preparing CEQA
document
Environmental Review
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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
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Preparers
• UCSF staff
• UC Office of the President staff
• Consultants
• Attorneys
Environmental Review
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
