Tomales Bay State Park Forest Health and Wildfire Resilience Project
In response to recent public inquiries, this update provides a summary of the need and purpose of the proposed use of herbicide as part of the project along with examples of the project’s extensive protective measures. The mission of California State Parks is to provide for the health, inspiration, and education of the people of California by helping to preserve the state’s extraordinary biological diversity, protecting its most valued natural and cultural resources, and creating opportunities for high-quality outdoor recreation. The Tomales Bay Forest Health and Wildfire Resilience Project goals are focused on improving resilience of the vegetation in the park for ecological benefit and reducing wildfire risk. Extensive public outreach has been conducted for the Project (including the potential use of herbicide) since 2022, including six public meetings, and over a dozen local news stories, radio interviews, stakeholder presentations, and field trips.
Invasive species are one of the five main drivers of global biodiversity loss and a major factor in an estimated 40% of endangered species listings (How Do Invasive Species Affect Biodiversity and How Can They Be Controlled? | Defenders of Wildlife). Invasive plants are among the greatest threats to native plant biodiversity (California Native Plant Society: PRI-24_Herbicide-Postion-Statement_adopted_9.7.24.pdf). State Parks will utilize alternatives to herbicide including hand removal, mechanical removal, or broadcast burning to remove invasive species whenever feasible, however there are times when these methods are not effective or feasible. Removing herbicide as a potential tool to control the most ecologically damaging invasive species will put the biodiversity and wildfire resilience of the park at greater risk. The project plan includes limited, targeted herbicide application as part of an integrated pest management approach to maintain and protect native species composition and to prevent the growth and spread of the most invasive, ecologically damaging, and fire-prone species such as jubata grass, eucalyptus and acacia. The herbicide treatment area is explicitly limited to a maximum of 6 acres, less than 0.2% of the 2,433-acre project area, over the entire 10-year lifespan of the project. No broad herbicide application is proposed or will be done. Herbicide treatments would be conducted using targeted ground-based application methods in very limited quantities under the strictest controls. The controls include: preparing a Spill Prevention and Response Plan prior to beginning any herbicide treatment to provide protection to workers, the public and the environment; complying with all appropriate laws, regulations and safety standards; following strict requirements on weather conditions; and posting signs notifying the public prior to any herbicide treatment.
For more information, please see the project documents at the bottom of this page or contact us at bayareanaturalresources@parks.ca.gov.
Tomales Bay State Park Forest Health and Wildfire Resilience
Background
In 2019 California State Parks initiated a forest inventory to assess the health of the forests within Tomales Bay State Park. The forest inventory documented the need for ecological restoration due to the high levels of tree disease and mortality in declining populations of Bishop pine, tanoak, and coast live oak. The report demonstrated that ecological restoration was needed to sustain the Bishop pine and hardwood forests due to the lack of regeneration. This document is available for download on the Inverness Association website at this link: Microsoft Word - Tomales Bay State Park Forest Inventory101719.docx (squarespace.com)
California State Parks worked with our One Tam partners on both the Marin Fine Scale Vegetation map and the Marin Forest Health Strategy, foundational data sources for the planning of the project. The Marin Fine Scale Vegetation Map is a comprehensive dataset of the County’s vegetation, and that data is available for download here: https://pacificvegmap.org/data-downloads/. The Marin Regional Forest Health Strategy data includes layers such as fire history, ladder fuels, treatment feasibility, and more. The Marin Regional Forest Health Strategy is available here: https://www.onetam.org/forest-health#Marin-Regional-Forest-Health-Strategy, and the web map is available here: https://parksconservancy.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/media/index.html?appid=283456ad496e4a999e74f9501468261c.
In November 2022, California State Parks initiated the compliance and permitting process for the Tomales Bay State Park Forest Health and Wildfire Resilience Project. A virtual community meeting for the project was held on December 14, 2022. A recording of the meeting can be viewed here: Tomales Bay State Park Forest Health and Wildfire Resilience Project – Virtual Community Meeting - YouTube
On December 18, 2023, California State Parks released a Draft Tomales Bay State Park Forest Health and Wildfire Resilience Public Works Plan (PWP) for a six-week period of public review and comment. On January 10, 2024, California State Parks hosted an in-person public hearing on the Draft Public Works Plan (PWP) at Buck Hall, located at the Lodge at Marconi. The presentation given at the January 10, 2024, public hearing is available to view here https://youtu.be/OH8AJEC99hI.
The Tomales Bay State Park Forest Health and Wildfire Resilience Public Works Plan was submitted to the California Coastal Commission and effectively approved on May 9, 2024. The Public Works Plan establishes a framework for comprehensive planning, reviewing, analysis, and approval of qualifying public projects in the Coastal Zone, including ecological restoration and forest resilience projects. The Tomales Bay State Park Forest Health and Wildfire Resilience PWP was developed to function in tandem with the California Vegetation Treatment Program (CalVTP) and its associated Program Environmental Impact Report (Program EIR).
The Tomales Bay State Park Forest Health and Wildfire Resilience Project-Specific Analysis (PSA) and Addendum to the CalVTP Program EIR was approved by California State Parks and the Notice of Determination was filed on July 8, 2024. The PSA/Addendum is available and at the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection (BOF) website https://bof.fire.ca.gov/projects-and-programs/calvtp-homepage-and-storymap/
On October 10, 2024, the Coastal Commission approved the Notice of Impeding Development for the Project. California State Parks (CSP) filed a Notice of Impending Development (NOID) for the Tomales Bay State Park Forest Health and Wildfire Resilience Project in Marin County on August 22, 2024. The NOID is available for download. Such notice must be submitted to the California Coastal Commission (Commission) before a public agency proposing a public works project pursuant to a certified Public Works Plan (PWP) may commence with implementation of the Project.
For further information please contact bayareanaturalresources@parks.ca.gov
Project Documents:
Tomales Bay State Park Forest Health and Wildfire Resilience Public Works Plan
Project-Specific Analysis and Addendum to the CalVTP Program Environmental Impact Report (EIR)