Mendocino Coast Cooperative Weed Management Area

Minutes of the Projects Workgroup Meeting

• Task 1 (Due May 2, 2006)- Objective-Revise Project Checklist
  1. Tara will revise the Project Checklist per suggestions made at the meeting. The revised checklist will be used for presentation of the project at the Quarterly Meeting.
• Task 2 (Due May 5, 2006)- Objective-Update Website
  1. Tara will post a webpage on weed debris disposal options.
  2. Tara will prepare a webpage announcing the NFWF demonstration project.
• Task 3 (Due May 2, 2006)- Objective-Preparation for Quarterly Meeting
  1. Tara will perform baseline photomonitoring of Hwy 1&20 site.
  2. Information Management Workgroup will finalize its survey forms and forward to Peter for testing on the demonstration site.
  3. Peter will perform baseline weed survey of Hwy 1&20 site, including stem counts and debris volume and weight estimate.
  4. Lynn will take GPS measurements of the project boundaries.
  5. The Information Management Workgroup will create a WIMS entry for the Hwy 1&20 site.
  6. Tara will prepare a summary of the NFWF demonstration site selection, including reasons why the other sites were not considered appropriate as the demonstration site.
  7. Tara will contact adjacent landowners for input into the Hwy 1&20 project.
• Task 4 (Due May 5, 2006)- Objective-Prepare Publicity for Demo Project
  1. Tara will draft press realease for demo project.
  2. Education Workgroup will select a person to become trained so that the MCCET video equipment may be used to document the project.

ACTIONS SUMMARY:

1. [Details] Agenda approved;
2. [Details] Four proposed demonstration projects sites were reviewed. The Highway 1 & 20 intersection was chosen as the preferred site;

MEETING DETAILS:

• Tara Athan, MCWMA Coordinator
• Walt Decker, consulting forester
• Ray Harrie, Mendocino County Department of Agriculture
• Bob Melendez, Caltrans
• Peter Warner, California Department of Parks and Recreation
• Lynn Webb, California Department of Forestry and Fire

1. Agenda for this meeting,
2. Blank project checklist
3. Weed Management Goals Figure
4. Summary of Weed Disposal Options
5. Checklist for Hwy 1 & 20 Intersection
       images of this site available in this folder (they are about 800 KB each)
6. Checklist for Jughandle State Reserve
7. Checklist for Pudding Creek Trestle
8. Checklist for Caspar Landfill

ACTION ITEM:Agenda approved with modifications: two new items were added to the agenda, Discussion of Disposal Options and Clarification of Weed Management Objectives.

Discussion Item: Tara presented a draft summary of weed debris disposal options and the conditions that would lead to the applicability of each option. Numerous suggestions were made, and these will be incorporated into the final version to be published as a page on the MCWMA website (Task 2a).

Discussion Item: Tara presented a figure in clarification of the Weed Management Objectives (prevention, eradication, containmant and refugium). No revision was suggested. This figure will be added to the Strategic Plan and attached to the project checklist when used for future project selections (Task 1a).

Discussion Item: Review each demonstration project site individually. Add additional information to the checklist, if available. Compare the sites.

• Pudding Creek Trestle. Peter presented the checklist for this project site. The property is primarily on State Parks property, with some of the weed population also occuring on adjacent Caltrans right-of-way (Highway 1). The project plan is fairly far along, in that considerable review has already occurred as to the favored treatment approach. The principles of MCWMA, including the application of an Integrated Pest Management approach, are followed on this project. There appears to be little need of the assistance of the MCWMA for this project. The MCWMA Projects and Education & Outreach Workgroups propose that the MCWMA endorse this project, but not select this as the demonstration project, due to the need to restrict access to the site because of the sensitive nature of the cultural resources there.
• Jughandle State Reserve. Peter presented the checklist for this project site. A plan is not well-developed for control of gorse at this site. There are significant obstacles to the success of this project, most significantly, the lack of resources to achieve weed management objectives. Although it is evident that this is an infestation that needs to be addressed, the MCWMA Projects and Education & Outreach Workgroups propose that the financial issues be addressed before project implementation is considered further. Resolution of the financial issues may take considerable time; therefore, this site is not appropriate for the demonstration project, which must be completed before December, 2006 to meet the NFWF grant milestone.
• Caspar Transfer Station. Tara presented the checklist for this project site. No plan has been developed for management weeds on this site. The infestations on this site include gorse, which creates the need to hire labor to remove this established gorse infestation. There is no existing source of funds for hiring such labor at this site. Therefore, the MCWMA Projects and Education & Outreach Workgroups consider this site not appropriate for the demonstration project.
• Highway 1 & 20 Intersection. Tara presented the checklist for this project site. Due to the visibility and accessibility of this site, the parameters of the project are well-understood. The landowners contacted so far are supportive of the project. The target species for the demonstration project would be the jubata and Scot's broom infestations. The boundaries of the proposed project were clarified as the Trailer Cove entrance as the eastern boundary, the property boundary of the Boatyard Shopping Center on Highway 1 as the northern boundary, and the Hare Creek bridge as the southern boundary on Highway 1. A visit to the site revealed the presence of an extensive but sparse broom infestation on the property bordering Highway 1 to the west. Mowing has clearly been used by the landowner to control the infestation on their own property, as well as on the Caltrans right-of-way in front of the billboard at the stoplight. The landowner will be contacted to determine their willingness to participate in the project. Thus the western extent of the project will not be clarified until input from the landowner is obtained. Inspite of this uncertainty in the project specification, this project rates well in the project evaluation, especially with regard to visibility, accessibility, generality of the issues and likely success of the project. Caltrans would take responsibility for removing the jubata grass this Spring, and volunteer participation would be used to manage the broom infestation in the fall. A weed debris disposal approach is not yet specified, pending input from adjacent landowners, but onsite natural degradation is preferred provided aesthetic concerns may be addressed. With this schedule, the project will meet the NFWF grant milestone of December, 2006. Long-term followup is ensured by Caltrans maintenance.

ACTION ITEM: Vote for preferred site. As all other sites had been removed from consideration, the Highway 1 & 20 intersection is preferred by the MCWMA Projects and Education & Outreach Workgroups for the NFWF demonstration project site.

Discussion Item: assign tasks in preparation for conducting the site visit on May 2.

ACTION ITEM: Dates of next Projects or Education & Outreach Workgroup Meetings were not set.