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Auqust 9, 1990
TIlE H<»IORABLE CITY COUNCIL
Palo Alto, CalifornIa
Open Space Management and Habitat Protection
Members of the council:
SUmmary
At the June 116 1990 Council Meeting, Council requested that staff
review the Open Space Manaqement and Habitat Protection policy fo~
operational impacts and return to council with recommendations, if
any, for modification of the policy. This 5taff report responds
to that request. #
l@ckground
Council :Members :Renzel and McCown made the following polIcy
recommendations:
1. The official policy of Palo Alto will be to retain natural
habitat, except in areas where qualified city personnel
certify that. plants create a fire hazard or on firebreaks,
roads, or trails whiCh are routinely maintained.
2. In areas of fire bazara." the least intrusive method of
Abatement shall be follow~d_
a.. mowing the perimeter... leaving a natural area in the
center ..
b.. mowing rather than discinq.
3. Prior to waed abatement activity, the Superintendent of Open
Space and Sciences or hisjher designee should identify and
mark for protection any suspected nesting site for burrowing
owls or other ground dwelling animal species.
«. Herbicides should not be used for weed abatemei1t ..
5. Private land owners should be encouraqed to follow City
policies on veed abatement.
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AU9Ust 9 ... 1990
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Each of these recommendations
attached detailing locations
report.
Piscussion
IteD ,1: Staff recommends
fire lines be included in
Accordingly,. staff r'!commends
o
is discussed below" and maps are
and activities mel't.ioned in this
that routinely maintained.,. disced
the definition of firebreaks.
that Item ,1 read as follo~s:
The official policy of the City of Palo Alto will be to retain
natural habitat, except in areas wbere qualified City
personnel certify that plants create a fire bazard. or on
firebreaks, including disced firelines ... roads or trails which
are routinely maintained.
Item fl'
follows:
staff recommends that IteD ,2 be changed to read as
1. In times of bigh fire danqerz when public safety concerns
require the use of non-routine fire prevention methods l the
policy of the City of Pillo Alto will be to use the least
intrusive methods on open space lands. These methods" in the
order they are to be used, are:
a. establish firelines on the perimeters of open space
lands. leaving the centers natural.
b. DOW. rather than disc. firelines wben the terrain
peiliits"
c. disc firelines.
d. use berbicides as a last resort.
As part of "this report, staff recommends that moW'il19 be substituted
for the discing now routinely being done in the City's Baylands
because:
1. Burrowing owls are seen in this area.
2. The terrain is flat enouqh to permit ~owing.
3. The Fire Department feels that mowing this area woul~ be
an acceptable fire control alternative because of its less
flammable fuels. limited s1ze l and proximity to fire response.
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A~st 9, 1990
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Mov1~ is Ilore expensive than discinq because it Is slower ..
Discinq a perimeter around the Baylands ITT property in 1990 cost
$483. Tbe estimated cost to mow this area in 1991 ~ill be about
$l.~.
Item '3 vould require staff to inspect forI and protect, nesting
sltesjburrows of ground dwelling animals.. Staff will make these
inspections. Inspections of the 11 miles of fireline whiCh are
disced or mowed each year in open space areas will take about three
days to complete ..
Item '4 would require that herbicid:es not be used for-weed
abatement:. CUrrently the herbicide -Roundup· is used once each
year to control tire damaqinq thistles beside the I:licycle path
along East Bayshore Road between the Municipal Service Center and
the ITT property access road. The spraying is confined to an 18
inch narrow strip on each side of the path. Roundup is also used
occasionally on individ·ual poison oak shrubs" which interfere with
bandcrews performing weed abatement on the bank. of san Francisquito
Creek along Palo Alto Avenue. Roundup, which is a contact spray"
is Ilixed with OUst.... whiCh is a pre-emergent" and used in ten
electrical substations" three pump stations and one sewage pump
station in Palo Alto. Tbe spraying is confined to the areas within
the cyclone fencing which surrounds each station.
staff recommends that hand operated equipment be subs~ituted for
herbicide use in the pumpIng and sUbstations.
This type of abatement will be more costly than spraying
herbicides" and it is sometimes ~ecessary to return a second time
to cut regrowth. Regrowth will not occur when an area is sprayed.
The bicycle path now being sprayed along East Baysbore Road will
be mowed with a tractor. Hand crews using blowers will be needed
to remove cut thistle plants from the path. The cost to spray all
these areas in 1990 was $4,,30<0.. The alternative means of weed
abatement discussed here vill cost about $a,,600~
Staff recommends that selective herbicide 'Cse for poison oak
control continue~ Herbicides will be used at the discretion of
the Superintendent of Open Space and scie.nee and 'Would be used only
on individual plants inter.ferinq 'With o,ther weed abatement activity
or found in heavy use areas~ The alternative is to hand cut the
plants" a bealth risk to those doIng the cutting.
Item .5 esks that private landowners be encouraged to follov City
weed abatement policies. This is current City practice; the
recommendation will have no operational impact.
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August 9. 19510
Page Four
Staff Resnmm@ndatlons
staff recommendations are the same as suggested by Council, ~ith
the exception of lang'..lage changes and the use of herbicides on
poison oak. These differences are underlined below~
Staff recommends the following open space ~anagement and habitat
protection policies:
1.
2.
The Official policy of Palo Alto viII be to retain natural
babitat, except in areas where qualified city personnel
certify that plants create a fire bazard or-on firebreaks,
including disced fire1ines. roads, or trails ~hich are
routinely maintai~~.
In times of high fire dang~rr when publjc s2!fety concerns
require tbe use of non-routine fire prevention methods. the
policy of the City of Palo Alto will be t.o use the least
intrusive methods on open space lands. These methods. in the
qrder they are to be used. ore:
i!II. establish fifelines on the perimeters of oo¢n space
lands. leaving the centers natural.
b.. I1Qw. rather them disc. ____ f_irelines 'When the terrain
peaitg.
c. disc firelings.
d. use herbIcides as a last resort __
3. Prior to 'Weed abatement activity. staff vill identify and mark
for protection any suspected nesting sites for burrowing owls
or other ground dwelling animal species.
4. Herbicides should not be used for weed abatement, except for
the control of poison oak found in high use area!!............Q
interfe.-rina with city 'Weed abatement 3.ct,iyjj:y. The use of
herbicides for this purpose is to be et the discretion of the
Superintendent of Open Space and Sciences ..
5. Private land owners should be encouraged to .follow city
poliCies on weed abatement.
CHR:446:0
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Au<JUst 9, 1990
Page Fiv.
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Adopting these po11cles will cause the following chanqes in the
City'. current weed abatement practices:
1.
2.
Mowing vill be Sub5t1tuted tor discing~ ~ben ~stablishing a
fire line around the perimeter of the ITT property in the
Saylands,
Mechanical and hand cutting ~ethods for weed abate~ent
purposes will be substituted for herbicide use at City
electrIcal substations~ pump stations and alGng one bicycle
path.
These changes w~~la increase the annual cost of weed abatement for
Palo Alto's 3911 acres of open space by aboYt $1.875.
Respectfully sUbmitted~
~:a~
Superintendent.
n Space a
Paul Thiltqen
Directo·r of Community Services
Attachments: 1990 Weed Abatement Disclng Maps
1990 Weed Abatement Herbicide Spraying Haps
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WHO ABATEi'lENT DISCING
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HIKING TRAILS
l1li'1,.11 IICII.OIII"'." .'IONG TIM.
LOS YfIIANCOS 7,eo 12.0 41,1 hi,
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stEEP HOI.I.OW.6 , ,0 4oQmln,
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PEPIN LOOP ,6 ,,0 30 min,
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COS'rANOAN •• 1,4 45 min,
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COVOr. 1.1 1,8 405 min,
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CI'IAMISE •• 1.' ~6 min,
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TOVON .9 1." 46 min,
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WEED ~BArEMtNT HERBICIDE SPRAYING
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