CDP 16-155 (Mission Trail Nature Preserve): Consideration of a five-year renewable extension to a Coastal Development Permit (CDP 16-155) for invasive species removal and maintenance activities in Mission Trail Nature Preserve.

CEQA Action: Staff recommends the project be found categorically exempt from CEQA pursuant to Section 15307 (Class 7), Actions by Regulatory Agencies for Protection of Natural Resources.

The Mission Trail Nature Preserve (‘Preserve”) was established as a natural parkland for passive recreational use by City Council in 1979. The park boundaries encompass 35 acres of mostly undeveloped lands and includes the Flanders Mansion, the Lester Rowntree Native Plant Garden and the meadow of Martin Road. Primary uses include hiking, jogging, birding and relaxation in a quiet natural setting. 

The entire Preserve, except for the Flanders Mansion parcel and the Lester Rowntree Native Plant Garden, is designated as an Environmentally Sensitive Habitat Area (ESHA).  ESHAs are defined in the City’s Local Coastal Program/Land Use Plan (LCP/LUP) and in the California Coastal Act of 1976 as “any area in which plant or animal life or their habitats are either rare or especially valuable because of their special nature or role in an ecosystem and which could be easily disturbed or degraded by human activities and developments.”  In a more natural setting, ESHAs would be self-sustaining and would not need active management.  However, the Preserve is an isolated remnant of a larger environmentally-sensitive area and is surrounded by urban development.  Active management is essential if the resource values of this habitat are to be protected and preserved.

The Mission Trail Nature Preserve Master Plan (Attachment 2) was adopted by the City in 1996 and incorporated into the City’s General Plan and LCP/LUP in 2004. The purpose of the Master Plan is to establish and maintain long-range goals for preservation and use of the Preserve and to guide the City in its decision-making process concerning the management of the Mission Trail Nature Preserve. Several goals, objectives, and policies within the Master Plan identify the various maintenance activities the City needs to do in order to keep the Preserve in an attractive natural state and define the scope of work for the 2016 Coastal Development Permit (CDP 16-155).

In 2015, the City retained the services of Nicole Nedeff, a consulting biologist, to create a  Baseline Biological Assessment Report (Attachment 3) for the Preserve, which details the implementation of the Master Plan maintenance policies, particularly as they relate to habitat restoration. Table 3 of the report provides a work plan for priority projects and invasive species removal (Attachment 4). This table has been the basis for the invasive species removal work completed by the City and the Friends of Mission Trail Nature Preserve over the past five years and continues to be the guide for restoration activities at the Preserve.

Work Completed to Date: Attachment 5 provides a status update on all the restoration activities conducted to date per the guidelines of Table 3 of the Baseline Biological Assessment. The following tasks were completed in partnership with the Friends of Mission Trail Nature Preserve:

• Removal of nearly all invasive eucalyptus trees and several invasive acacia trees from the Preserve;
• Fire fuel, weedy brush, and ivy removal in many parts of the Preserve;
• Weed removal for native habitat restoration in the Lower Riparian Zone (as described in the Baseline Biological Assessment);
• Completion of a Stream Stability Study that identified several projects to restore the natural hydrology in the Preserve and reduce erosion impacts (Attachment 6);
• Annual mowing of the Martin Meadow; and,
• Maintenance of the Lester Rowntree Native Plant Garden.

The following activities have also been completed in conformance with the CDP:

• Repair of the Doolittle Trail;
• Installation of trail directional signage;
• Maintenance and repair of split rail fencing in several areas of the Preserve; and,
• Maintenance of trails to minimize erosion.

A CDP is required under Chapter 17.52 (Permit Procedures) of the City’s Municipal Code to provide authorization for the City to continue to perform regular maintenance activities such as road clearance, hazardous tree removal, mowing, and trail maintenance, as well as invasive species removal. Staff is requesting a five-year extension to the previously-approved CDP to continue the progress on invasive vegetation removal, to implement the recommendations of the Stream Stability Study, and to conduct annual maintenance activities such as mowing annual grasses for fuel reduction.

Individual projects that are outside of the scope of maintenance activities will require their own separate CDP(s). Activities within the drainage channel in the Preserve may also need a Streambed Alteration Permit from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife prior to work commencing.

Scope of Work for this CDP:  Various types of maintenance activities are identified in the Master Plan (Attachment 2) particularly in sections C, D, E, and K. These maintenance activities help advance the overall goals of the Master Plan by maintaining and enhancing the physical and environmental attributes of the Preserve while avoiding and minimizing adverse environmental impacts. The activities covered by the CDP support Goal G5-11 of the Master Plan, which states, Maintain Mission Trail Nature Preserve using great care to avoid the degradation of resources.

Section F of the Master Plan includes the following objective:

O5-38, Manage environmentally sensitive habitats in Mission Trail Nature Preserve to maintain and enhance their natural integrity. Preserve and protect the Mission Trail Nature Preserve native plant, wild animal and bird population.

Specific maintenance activities that are covered by this CDP are also reflected in policies set forth in Section K of the Master Plan.  These include the following:

P5-149, Repair stream bank deterioration as it occurs, and remove inert debris and new growth to the extent that they prohibit water flow within the established channel. (Annually: September – October.)

P5-150, Clean and grade road shoulders and maintain culverts to ensure continuous drainage.  Trim vegetation to the extent necessary to allow access of equipment. (Annually: September – October.)

P5-151, Remove fallen limbs and trees from the stream channels. (As needed.) P5-152, Place rip-rap to prevent erosion only in situations where private property or public safety is at risk. (As needed.)

P5-153, Mow meadow grasses to reduce the risk of fire (June) if consistent with special status plant management needs. (Note: per consultation with the project biologist, mowing of the meadow is done either in April-May or in August to avoid impacting special-status species)

P5-154,  Maintain Serra trail to allow access of emergency vehicles. (Semi-annually.) P5-155,  Remove dead/hazardous trees only as needed.  Leave dead trunks in place when not hazardous to provide habitat for woodpeckers and other fauna.

P5-156, Conduct trail maintenance and clearance.  (June – August.)

Other policies within the Plan that address maintenance activities are:

P5-270, Continue the annual Monterey pine seedling planting during the winter of each year (using the seed collecting guidelines of the Genetic Resources Conservation Program of the University of California at Davis, in order to maintain appropriate genetic diversity).  Enhance efforts to replant and maintain native tree species similar to nearby native riparian vegetation.

P5-118, Avoid removal or pruning of native riparian vegetation except for drainage channel and road/trail clearance and/or for the purpose of new native indigenous tree/shrub establishment.

P5-119, Remove by hand nonnative shrubs and their roots invading these areas during late spring when soils are moist and before seed/seed pods become viable.

P5-122, Organize volunteer work groups to remove nonnative plants from the Preserve. 

P5-131, Remove fallen trees and limbs from the stream channels as needed.  Place natural boulders and creek cobbles to prevent erosion only in situations where private property or public safety is at risk.

P5-124, Remove intentionally introduced plants and invasives by instituting an annual program through joint efforts of contract workers and volunteers.

P5-133, Maintain the box culvert inlet adjacent to Rio Road to prevent flooding.

P5-135, Preclude manmade objects from inhibiting drainage along the road in Mission Trail Nature Preserve.

P5-136, Maintain the shoulders and cross flows on the Preserve bed to insure surface water can easily enter the creek.

P5-137, Clean and grade road shoulders and maintain culverts at least twice yearly, to insure continuous drainage. Trimming by the Forest, Parks, and Beach staff will be conducted to the extent necessary to allow access by the City maintenance equipment and fire apparatus.

Specific provisions in the Master Plan directing the removal of invasive horticultural species from the Preserve are the following:

O5-27, Reduce the introduction and population of invasive horticultural species in the Preserve.

P5-22, Organize volunteer work groups to remove nonnative plants from the Preserve. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection crews from Gabilan Camp could be used to assist this effort.

P5-124, Consider removal of both intentionally introduced plants and invasives by instituting an annual program through joint efforts of contract workers and volunteers.

While many of the maintenance activities and removal of non-native horticultural species has been accomplished by hand or with simple hand tools, there has been a need for more specialized equipment for certain elements, in particular for the removal of invasive trees. Special equipment to be used includes work trucks of various size, chainsaws, backhoes, cranes, chippers, bucket trucks, dumpsters, and stump grinders.

Staff recommends that the project be found categorically exempt from CEQA requirements under Section 15307 (Class 7), Actions by Regulatory Agencies for Protection of Natural Resources. The project does not present any unusual circumstances that would result in a potentially significant environmental impact, and there are no exceptions to the exemption pursuant to Section 15300.2 of the CEQA Guidelines.

In order to comply with and complete all of the maintenance objectives within the Preserve, each activity will include the appropriate environmental impact avoidance measures as set forth in the Baseline Biological Assessment. Table 3 of the Assessment (Attachment 4) provides a work plan for the removal of invasive species and other associated projects within the Preserve, and includes potential habitat impacts of projects, best management practices, and success criteria. Additionally, each work project includes a pre-project site visit by a qualified botanist or biologist to evaluate any changed circumstances in the flora and fauna that may be affected, such as nesting birds and the following special status and federal or state “listed” plants and animals in the Preserve:

• Monterey Dusky-footed Woodrat
• Monarch Butterfly winter roost
• Yadon’s rein-orchid
• Hickman’s onion

Any work where these species are present follows impact avoidance protocol(s) as set forth in the Baseline Biological Assessment to prevent any long-term damage to the species and their habitat within the Preserve. A qualified botanist or biologist is retained prior to work in areas known or suspected to have sensitive species and habitat to provide pertinent information and direction regarding work where these species are present.

Additional project components that will continue to be implemented for individual maintenance activities include:

• Seasonal limitations. Planned work in the riparian areas will be scheduled during the dry months when there is less water around, access is improved, and soil compaction is less likely.
• Bird nesting. Projects involving invasive tree removal should be performed outside the bird nesting season, or between September 1 and February 29. Any proposed tree or brush removal within the nesting season (March 1 through August 31) will require a pre-project bird nesting survey by a qualified biologist.
• Trail closures. Some work activities will require temporary closure of roads and trails for public safety while work is in progress. The duration of and trail closures will be limited to the maximum practicable extent, and temporary trail closure signage installed on either end of the work zone.
• Fire safety and fuel loads. Fire safety activities will be completed prior to the declaration of fire season (typically in late April or in May) for public safety. Consultation with the local and regional fire department staff will occur to help determine the scale and timing of these activities.
• Habitat restoration. Some maintenance activities will include site restoration to enhance the habitat values of the Preserve upon completion. Removing large areas of invasive trees or cape and English ivy are examples of activities that would require site restoration with erosion control materials such as jute netting and reseeding or replanting with native plants.