a summary of project funding needs

PARK STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM

A SUMMARY OF PROJECT FUNDING NEEDS Prepared by: Christina Crooker – Restoration Manager Ruby Kwan – Assistant Project Coordinator

August 18, 2014

Park Stewardship program – Restoration Project-based funding needs 2

This document identifies key natural resources management projects on Park Stewardship-managed

lands (Oakwood Valley, Wolfback Ridge, Milagra Ridge, and Mori Point) that cannot be completed with

current levels of staffing and volunteer support.

For each project, we provide the project need, proposed action, compliance needs, timeframe, estimated

cost, and a map of the project area. We have assigned a priority code to each project in order to best

allocate funds.

High Priority

Project footprint within endangered species habitat.

Projects with years of prior time and funding invested for maintenance and follow up.

Contractor-specific projects.

Non-native species of concern that grow rapidly and have a tremendous ability to

overtake surroundings if left unmanaged.

Medium Priority

Project footprint near endangered species habitat.

Projects that can be done by interns and Restoration Technicians if funding cannot be

secured for contractors.

Low Priority

Project footprint not near endangered species habitat.

Projects that can be done by interns and Restoration Technicians.

Projects with minimal to no prior time and funding investment.

In summary, we will need $359,877 to accomplish the invasive species removal projects outlined in this

report. We will need $150,000 to accomplish the trail related project in this report.


O A K W O O D V A L L E Y

Remove Invasive Cotoneaster from Mission blue butterfly habitat at Oakwood Valley

Priority Level: High

Project Need: Oakwood Valley is home to the northern-most population of the federally endangered

Mission blue butterfly. Butterfly populations have been declining in other parts of the park, but continue

to thrive at Oakwood. As such, it is critical to keep grasslands open for the butterfly’s lupine host plants.

Aerial photographs document a rapid invasion of woody brush, especially cotoneaster, at Oakwood.

Over the past fifteen years, the cotoneaster footprint has gone from only scattered plants to dense

monocultures and is quickly spreading into grassland habitat for Mission blues. Removal of cotoneaster

will protect this key population of an otherwise dwindling endangered butterfly.

Overall Project: We propose to cut and treat 11.92 acres of cotoneaster. This will ensure open grassland

habitat and eliminate source populations of cotoneaster in order to protect against future invasion.

This project requires contractors for chainsaw work and will build on prior efforts of staff, volunteers, and

contractors to protect Mission blue habitat by controlling woody invasives in the grasslands that support

butterfly host plants.

Compliance: This project is within the scope of actions described in the Fire Management Plan and the

Annual Veg Plan and should not require additional compliance.

Timeframe: This project should be conducted between August 1 and December 31 to avoid bird and

raptor nesting season. Completion before Oct 15 is ideal, but not necessary, to avoid rainy season.

Overall Project Cost: $217,420 (based on costs for a prior cotoneaster removal project with Go Native)

Priority Action 1: We propose to have contractors cut and treat 3.07 acres of cotoneaster within a 25-

meter buffer of known Mission blue butterfly habitat. Broom has already been removed from all Mission

blue habitat patches, and scattered cotoneaster has already been controlled near MBB patches 8, 5, 10,

and 7. Patches 11 a, 11, 12, 14, 6, 4a, and 13 still have dense cotoneaster with no prior record of

management.

Estimated Cost: $56,143 (based costs for a prior cotoneaster removal project with Go Native). Smaller

increments of this figure could also be applied to an cotoneaster reduction overall strategy.


Oakwood Valley. Woody brush such as cotoneaster, French broom, and Scotch broom has become well-established in drainages separating Mission blue habitat which are found on the ridges at Oakwood Valley.

Remove Eucalyptus trees to reduce fire hazard, protect federally endangered Mission blue

butterflies, and rehabilitate oak woodlands


Project Need: Oakwood Valley is home to the northern-most population of the federally endangered

Mission blue butterfly. Butterfly populations have been declining in other parts of the park, but continue

to thrive at Oakwood. As such, it is critical to keep the populations and associated habitats free of

threat from encroachment by invasive scrub and trees. Furthermore, fire-prone Eucalyptus trees pose a

hazard to neighboring communities on the Wildland Urban Interface.

Overall Project: We propose to remove all remaining Eucalyptus trees from Oakwood Valley. Trees will

be cut and treated, and all wood will be chipped and left in place. The project footprint will be planted

with native scrub and oak-bay woodland species. Invasive species removal will be conducted for a

minimum of three years.

This will build upon the 1999 Eucalyptus Pilot Project planning effort to remove groves along Oakwood

Valley creek. It also builds upon the Wildland Urban Interface project completed in 2004 that removed

three large groves of Eucalyptus to protect neighboring Marin City from fire originating in the park. It

further builds on the 2012 and 2013 Oak Rehabilitation Project that removed eucalyptus and acacia

saplings from oak woodlands.

Compliance: Compliance efforts could build off of those associated with the Eucalyptus Pilot Project of

the late nineties. That project encompassed these and resulted in a draft EA.


raptor nesting season. Completion before Oct 15 is ideal to avoid the rainy season and issues with

sedimentation.

Estimated Cost: TBD

Priority Action 1: The leading edges of most Eucalyptus groves were controlled in 2012 as part of the

Oak Rehabilitation Project. We propose to remove 225 Eucalyptus saplings along three remaining leading

edges to achieve complete control of Eucalyptus grove expansion. Follow up work will be conducted by

Park Stewardship staff.

Compliance: within the scope of actions described in the Fire Management Plan and the Annual Veg Plan

and should not require additional compliance.


raptor nesting season. Completion before Oct 15 is ideal, but not necessary, to avoid rainy season.

Estimated Cost: $10,500 (based on costs for Eucalyptus removal by size class from Marin County

Arborists)


Oakwood Valley. Eucalyptus saplings can be seen in the foreground on the larger Eucalyptus trees.

Priority Action 2: We propose to control 49 Eucalyptus trees and saplings that are spreading across a

natural containment line - the Oakwood Valley creek. This will ensure that the eastern side of Oakwood

remains native oak-bay woodland.

Compliance: This project would need to go through project review since mature trees greater than 8 “

dbh would be removed within a riparian corridor. Compliance efforts could build off of those associated

with the Eucalyptus Pilot Project of the late nineties. That project encompassed these and resulted in a

draft EA.


raptor nesting season. Completion before Oct 15 is ideal to avoid the rainy season and issues with

sedimentation.

Estimated Cost: $34,737 (based on costs for Eucalyptus removal by size class from Marin County

Arborists)

Oakwood Valley. Eucalyptus trees on the western creek bank.

Remove newly detected Cape ivy patch along Oakwood Valley creek

Priority level: High

Project need: Cape ivy poses a significant threat in native habitats because it grows and establishes very

rapidly and easily. At Oakwood Valley, there are 18 cape ivy patches but due largely to early detection,

follow up, and monitoring each winter, Cape ivy has been nearly eradicated within the riparian corridor.

In 2011 we discovered a new patch of Cape ivy along the creek. Since we have invested a significant

amount of time managing Cape ivy throughout Oakwood Valley, and since Cape ivy is a species of high

concern, it is important that we control this patch with the goal of complete eradication to prevent it

from spreading in place or downstream.

This project builds on the 1999-2001 grant to remove Cape ivy park-wide as well as long-term follow-up

efforts after the grant’s completion.

Proposed action: We propose to remove this patch with the help of contractors due to dense tangles of

poison oak. Removal will be done using the “scorched earth technique” where all vegetation is cut, the

soil is raked to bare earth, and all cut vegetation is piled and tarped. Follow-up will be conducted by Park

Stewardship staff and interns for years to come.

Compliance: This project is consistent with the Fire Management Plan and the Annual Veg Plan and

would not require additional compliance.

Timeframe: This project should be conducted between August 1 and February 1 to avoid bird nesting

season. Implementation in January and February is ideal because poison oak, willows, and thimbleberry

have gone dormant.

Estimated cost: $6,000 (based on a quote for this project from Go Native).

Oakwood Valley. Cape ivy patch grows near the creek.

Remove broom species from the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) at Alta Avenue to maintain

fuel breaks

Priority level: High

Project need: This project will maintain our 2004 investment in clearing invasive brooms from the

Wildland Urban Interface along Alta Avenue. The fuel reduction project was initiated in 2004 to protect

neighboring Marin City from fire originating on parkland. Long-term follow-up has been conducted using

project funds. Project funds are now expended but annual maintenance needs have plateaued at about

$6000 per year.

Proposed action: Fund restoration technicians or contractors to remove broom species from 15 feet on

either side of Alta Avenue annually.


would not require project review.

Timeframe: This project should be completed in the spring before broom seed matures.

Estimated cost: $6,000 per year (based on past costs for Restoration Technicians)

Oakwood Valley. Wildland Urban Interface along Alta Avenue.


Remove striated broom at Marincello

Priority Level: Medium

Project Need: Despite long-term efforts to eradicate striated broom at Marincello with the help of

volunteers, it continues to persist. Plants are too large to weed wrench so volunteers have been cutting

or cutting and peeling bark in the fall. The percent kill of this method is yet to be determined and the

amount of broom exceeds our available volunteer resources. Additionally, much broom is within thick

scrub and poison oak and is difficult to access.

This project is best completed with contractors who can use chainsaws.

This project will build on the efforts of the Habitat Restoration Team, which historically manages broom

above the Marincello Road and upon the efforts of Park Stewardship, which manages broom below the

road. It will also build on a 2010 5K contract which targeted part of the striated broom footprint in

scrublands at Marincello.

Overall Project: We propose to have contractors cut and treat broom along both sides of Marincello

Road to eliminate the seed source.

Compliance: This project is consistent with the Fire Management Plan and the Annual Veg Plan and no

additional compliance is required.

Timeframe: This project can be completed at any time; however, cut stump herbicide treatments are

most effective in the fall.

Overall Estimated cost: $18,000

Priority Action 1: Remove striated broom below Marincello Road on Park Stewardship-managed land.

Estimated Cost: $9,332 (based on a 2009 striated broom removal contract with Go Native)

Marincello. Striated broom (yellow) grows on both sides of Marincello road.

Remove Cape ivy at Alta Avenue

Priority Level: Low

Project Need: Cape ivy poses a significant threat in native habitats because it grows and establishes very

rapidly and easily.

This project builds on the 1999-2001 grant to remove Cape ivy park-wide as well as long-term follow-up

efforts after the grant’s completion. This patch has never been controlled.

Proposed action: We propose to remove this patch with the help of contractors due to dense tangles of

poison oak. Removal will be done using the “scorched earth technique” where all vegetation is cut, the

soil is raked to bare earth, and all cut vegetation is piled and tarped. Follow-up will be conducted by Park

Stewardship staff and interns for years to come.


would not require project review.

Timeframe: This project should be conducted between August 1 and February 1 to avoid bird nesting

season. Implementation in January and February is ideal because poison oak will have lost its leaves

making working conditions safer.

Estimated cost: $15,000 (based on previous Cape ivy removal projects by acre with Go Native)

W O L F B A C K R I D G E

Remove broom throughout Wolfback Ridge to protect Mission blue butterfly habitat


Project Need: Although the population is small, Mission blue butterflies have been observed at Wolfback

Ridge as recently as May 2014. Since 2011, we have been planting lupine host at Wolfback to expand

and diversify mission blue habitat to facilitate a population increase. As such, it is critical to keep the

small population and associated habitat free woody broom species.

Woflback Ridge is not volunteer friendly due to steep terrain, poison oak and abundant western black-

legged ticks. Just this year, staff and Restoration Technicians dedicated 380 hours of work to manage

broom throughout the site. This level of staff time is not sustainable each year. By July, much of the

broom was removed although there are areas that we could not get to. Given the 20-year history of

controlling broom here, we should conduct control the broom to flowering and seeding each year to

exhaust the seed bank.

This project builds upon a large contract to remove broom in 1999. Since that time, broom has been

removed yearly from Wolfback by volunteer and paid staff.

Proposed Action: We propose to have contractors cut and treat French and Scotch broom in areas where

broom has been managed before.

Compliance: This project is consistent with the Management Plan for Wolfback Ridge and the Annual Veg

Plan and would not require additional compliance.

Timeframe: This project should be conducted in the spring before broom seeds mature.

Estimated cost: $10,000 (based on 400 hours of Restoration Technicians) Partial increments of this

amount could be applied to an overall broom management strategy.

Wolfback Ridge. Annual comparison of French broom individuals treated. Not all individuals were treated each year..

19,500

5,620

12,510

0

5,026

8,095

14,026

5893

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

CY 2006 CY 2007 FY 2008 FY 2009 FY 2010 FY 2011 FY 2012 FY 2013

Ind

ivid

ual

s Tr

eate

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Remove non-native trees to protect Mission blue butterfly habitat at Wolfback Ridge


Project Need: Mission blue butterflies have been observed at Wolfback Ridge as recently as May 2014.

The population at Wolfback Ridge is small; as such it is critical to keep the small population and

associated habitat free of threat from encroachment by non-native trees.

Proposed Project: We propose removing all invasive trees from Wolfback Ridge. Tree debris would be

bucked up and scattered or stashed on site.

Compliance: This project would require project review or inclusion in FY2015 Annual Veg Plan since the

trees are larger than 8” dbh.

Timeframe: This project should be conducted between August 1 and Dec 31 to avoid bird nesting season.

Implementation prior to the rainy season is ideal.

Overall Cost: $36,720

Priority Project 1: All trees less than 8 inches dbh have already been cut by Park Stewardship staff. We

propose to have contractors cut, treat, and buck up the remaining 20 large Eucalyptus trees and

remaining pine trees. We estimate it will take 3 days for an experienced crew.

This project would build upon the CalTrans pine tree removal project near Waldo Tunnel. An additional

benefit of pine removal is that it would make conditions unfavorable for Ehrharta erecta which currently

grows in the understory and is managed each year. This is the only patch of Ehrharta in the surrounding

area.

Estimated Cost: $ 12,240 (based on costs for 3 days of Marin County Arborists)

Wolfback Ridge. The Eucalyptus, cypress, and pine trees are the sole source population on the site and threaten to spread and

encroach into Mission blue butterfly habitat. Furthermore, the cypress trees in the drainage create favorable conditions for

Ehrharta erecta.

Drainage-cypress

Eucalyptus Ridge - cypress


Priority Project 2: We propose removing a

patch of blackwood Acacia within grassland

habitat that continues to expand on the eastern

slopes of Wolfback Ridge.

Estimated Cost: $12,240 (based on estimated 3

days of Marin County Arborist time)

Priority Project 3: We propose removing a

patch of blackwood Acacia that continues to

expand upslope from the riparian area on the

lower eastern slopes of Wolfback Ridge.

Estimated Cost: $12,240 (based on estimated 3

days of Marin County Arborist time)

Acacia project 2

Acacia project 3


M I L A G R A R I D G E

Remove tower of jewels (Echium pininana) at Milagra Ridge

Priority Level: Low

Project Need: Tower of jewels has establishing and spreading in drainages at Milagra Ridge. We are

seeing it start to encroach upon the grasslands supporting Mission blue butterfly.

Proposed Action: We propose to have contractors or Restoration Technicians cut and paint tower of

jewels in two areas, patches 1 and 3 on the Oceana slope. Both stands are situated on a steep slope and

dense poison oak, thus eliminating the possibility of engaging volunteers. We have been hand sawing

ECPI at the tops of patch 1 but have not made it down to the bottom due to the poison oak. There is no

history of management or investment in patch 3. The two patches of ECPI are the biggest and only source

population at Milagra Ridge. Eliminating the concentrated stands would reduce the possibility of spread

into Milagra.

Compliance: This project is consistent with the Milagra Ridge Management Plan and Annual Veg Plan and

no addition compliance is required.

Timeframe: This project can be conducted at any time. However, it would ideally be conducted in the

late winter when poison oak is dormant or the early spring before Echium sets seed.

Estimated Cost: $5,500. Estimate based on Go Native’s work rate of $230/hr. for a crew of 4, including a

supervisor which equates to $1840 for one days’ work (8 hours approx.). We estimate that it would take

21 hours to clear the ECPI, equating to approximately 3 days of work.

Milagra Ridge. Echium pininana in Patch 1 (above) and 3 (below).

M O R I P O I N T

Upgrade Headlands Trail to protect and restore coastal bluff wildflowers

Priority Level: Medium

Project Need: The Headlands Trail along the Point is

the most visited destination at Mori Point. Although

degraded and compacted due to prior mining

operations and motorcycle racing, it houses the

spectacular wildflower displays that make Mori Point

beloved by so many. Long-time visitors regularly

express concern about a decrease in wildflowers at

the Point. With an increase in overall visitation to

Mori Point due to trail and habitat improvements, the

Point is subject to more trampling than ever before.

In May 2014, Park Stewardship conducted a visitor

use survey at the Point to map visitor use patterns

on social trails. Park Stewardship led a field visit

with Christine Fitzgerald and Kirsten Holder to

summarize the results of the survey and brainstorm

on a trail design and implementation. The general

plan for the trail as of the field visit is to establish

one trail from the top of the Bootlegger Steps out to

the Point and both sides of the trail would be fenced

with visually unobtrusive fencing.

This project will build on the successful

implementation of the Mori Point Restoration and Trail Plan beginning in 2007.

Proposed Project: We propose establishing a trail system that guides visitor use along one main trail

rather than along several social trails, and attempt to revegetate barren areas with native wildflowers.

Experimental plots to revegetate this area have been successful, increasing the viability of limiting visitor

access while restoring barren areas.

Compliance: This project would require project review.

Timeframe: This project could be conducted anytime but implementation prior to the rainy season is

ideal.

Estimated Cost: $150,000 for trail establishment (based on high-end projections by NPS Trails). More

detailed cost estimates are being formulated. Revegetation to be conducted by Park Stewardship

Program.

Mori Point. The Point has been degraded by years of off trail use.

Mori Point. The Point offers visitors views of the Pacific coastline as well as a native wildflower show each spring.

a summary of project funding needs

Documents