Our Projects

CA Coastal COMMISSION APPROVEs PROJECT

June 7,2023: The CA Coastal Commission gave unanimous approval to the hazardous fuel and ecological restoration project we are sponsoring on the Hearst Ranch in San Simeon (See attached map). Our project team includes the Hearst Ranch, CAL FIRE, and Upper Salinas-Las Tablas Resource Conservation District (US-LT RCD). The project's environmental analysis was prepared for us by Auten Resource Consulting and followed the protocols of the Cal VTP and US-LT RCD' s Coastal Zone Public Works Plan put in place for the Covell project. Spencer G. US-LT RCD will shepherded this through the RCD and Coastal Commission. This was a great team effort involving US-LT RCD staff; CAL FIRE; Xerces Society; Fire Safe Council staff; and Auten Resource Consulting and their excellent analysis and project design and preparation!

We received very complimentary comments from Coastal Commissioners. There was no hesitation on their part to approve the plan. There were both negative and some supporting public comments.

This project provides protection from wildfire to historic structures at Old San Simeon Village and improves forest health and reduces catastrophic fire risk on the Pico Creek stand of Monterey pine next to New San Simeon (San Simeon Acres) while protecting Monarch butterfly habitat and other sensitive sites.

Additionally, the CA Coastal Commission approved 2 other projects in Monterey pine in Cambria at the CA Fish and Wildlife Cambria Ecological Reserve and Rancho Marino Reserve. These 2 projects were joint efforts by US-LT RCD, UC Santa Barbara (Rancho Marino) and CA Fish and Wildlife (Cambria Ecological Reserve); the Project Specific Analysis was prepared by Ascent Consulting. (see attached Reserves map)

RMR PROJECT

The Kenneth S. Norris Rancho Marino Reserve (RMR) is a 187-acre property part of the University of California Natural Reserve System that borders the town of Cambria to the south, comprised primarily of native Monterey pine forestland. The property has obtained California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) permit coverage via the California Vegetation Treatment Program (CalVTP) for ecologically-restorative forest health treatments under the Cambria Reserves Restoration and Vegetation Treatment Project. Future proposed and current on-going treatments would intend to control invasive plants, promote germination and recruitment of Monterey pines to maintain a healthy Monterey pine forest, enhance abundance and diversity of native grasses and forbs in grasslands, maintain rare plant populations, and minimize conditions that lead to catastrophic fire and plant community type conversion. This project is a collaboration between US-LTRCD, CAL FIRE, San Luis Obispo Community Fire Safe Council (FSCSLO), ARC Forestry, and Ascent Environmental. Approved Document: Cambria Reserves Restoration and Vegetation Treatment
Project - CalVTP Project Specific Analysis
Project Area Maps ✓
Photos: ✓ (On file: burn piles in action)
French Broom Removal Program
Description
Photos

News and Media
NBC Story
KCBX Story
The Cambriaca Story

CPER PROJECT

Description: The Cambria Pine Ecological Reserve (CPER) is a 103-acre property owned and managed by California Department of Fish and Wildlife that borders the town of Cambria to the north, comprised primarily of native Monterey pine forestland. The property has California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) permit coverage via the California Vegetation Treatment Program (CalVTP) for ecologically-restorative forest health treatments under the Cambria Reserves Restoration and Vegetation Treatment Project. Proposed treatments would intend to control invasive plants, promote germination and recruitment of Monterey pines to maintain a healthy Monterey pine forest, enhance abundance and diversity of native grasses and forbs in grasslands, maintain rare plant populations, and minimize conditions that lead to catastrophic fire and plant community type conversion. This project is a collaboration between US-LTRCD, CAL FIRE, San Luis Obispo Community Fire Safe Council (FSCSLO), ARC Forestry, and Ascent Environmental. Approved Document: Cambria Reserves Restoration and Vegetation Treatment Project - CalVTP Project Specific Analysis
Project Area Maps: ✓
Photos: Could not locate

COVELL RANCH PROJECT

The Covell Ranch Forest Health Fuels Reduction Project provides California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) permit coverage via the California Vegetation Treatment Program (CalVTP) for Covell Ranch, a 665-acre forestland property containing a native Monterey pine population that directly borders the wildland-urban interface (WUI) community of Cambria to the north. This project intends to increase the health and vigor of the Monterey pine forest by conducting ecologically restorative forest health treatments that increase climate resiliency and biological diversity and reduce the severity of wildfire near the community of Cambria. CAL FIRE San Luis Obispo Unit is the project proponent, while US-LTRCD, San Luis Obispo Community Fire Safe Council (FSCSLO), ARC Forestry, the Cambria Community Services District, local landowners, and the community of Cambria are all collaborating partners. Approved Document: Covell Ranch Forest Health and Fuels Reduction Project - CalVTP Project Specific Analysis
Project Area Maps ✓
Photos ✓ (On file: historic imagery, pre-treatment conditions

Hearst RANCH PROJECT

The Hearst Ranch Forest Health Fuels Reduction Project provides California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) permit coverage via the California Vegetation Treatment Program (CalVTP) for two discrete properties owned and managed by Hearst Holdings, Inc. on the Northern San Luis Obispo County coastline. One of the properties encompasses the forest and shrubland of San Simeon Point, and the other property contains the Pico Creek stand of Monterey pine that borders the town of San Simeon to the north. The two properties encapsulate a total of 762 acres. Project objectives include: protecting irreplaceable historical facilities at Old San Simeon Village by reducing wildfire hazard from ignition sources on San Simeon Point; restoring the health of planted Monterey pine, Monterey cypress, and blue gum eucalyptus habitat at San Simeon Point near Old San Simeon Village; protecting New San Simeon community from wildfire by reducing the hazard and risk from wildfire in the Pico Creek Monterey pine stand; and restoring the health and vigor of the rare Monterey pine community at Pico Creek near New San Simeon. CAL FIRE San Luis Obispo Unit is the project proponent, while US-LTRCD, San Luis Obispo Community Fire Safe Council (FSCSLO), and ARC Forestry are collaborating partners.
Approved Document: Hearst Ranch Forest Health and Fuels Reduction Project - CalVTP Project Specific Analysis
Project Area Maps ✓

Bridge Street Project

Our project tactics are to control of the French broom infestations should be a priority. - Hand clearing - Mechanical clearing - Chipping, which is a combination of hand and mechanical - Pile burning - Prescribed fire or controlled burns - Grazing - Chemical treatment Any and all of these methods could be used on the Covell Ranch where understory conditions are too crowded,

Forest management priorities for fire control treatments and implementation are listed in order below and are entirely dependent on reestablishing fencing and gates to control trespass and permit grazing to maintain areas after initial treatment:
1. Establish a primary shaded fuel break from the southern property line up the hogback ridge to the S turn on Bridge Street and thence along the west side of Bridge Street to the Cemetery as shown on the attached Fuel Break Map. 2. Establish defensible space fuel reduction zones adjacent to residences along the western boundary from Sunbury south toward downtown and to residences on either side of the Cemetery in Cambria Pines as shown on the attached Fuel Break Map. 3. Investigate the feasibility of establishing gated emergency access for authorized personnel over the ranch road from the top of Bridge Street to Cambria Pines. 4. Improve internal fire road access for prevention and suppression activities on the ranch east of Bridge Street. 5. Install an emergency water supply tank for fire control purposes on the ranch near the Cemetery. 6. Establish a defensible space fuel reduction zone adjacent to the Cemetery itself as shown on the attached Fuel Break Map. These recommended treatments are expected be completed by a combination of hand crews and masticating equipment, using the complementary strengths of each to achieve both ecologically and cost effective results. To accomplish that, no live trees larger than 8 inches at human chest height can be removed unless they are deemed hazardous to nearby homes or other structures. Larger trees can only be targeted for removal if they have died or a Forester has confirmed they are dying.