Forest Management
Philosophy
Cal Poly is committed to providing its students with a quality forestry education that provides experience of the entire timber management procedure while converting to and maintaining an uneven-aged forest. The forests at Swanton Pacific offer the opportunity of a range of forest management activities from prime commercial redwood/Douglas fir forests to restoring poor-quality damaged stands and improving the genetic base of native Monterey pine trees.
The combined forest resources of Valencia Creek and Swanton Pacific are sufficient to enable a rotation of Timber Harvest Plans (THPs) that will help provide each student the opportunity to experience this process during their education.
The forestry project has a commitment to ensure not only the quality of its educational program for its students but also the health of the forests. To accomplish this, the project is committed to using the best management practices available for minimizing environmental damage during harvest and providing a diverse resource base for wildlife habitat while ensuring the future health of the timber stands.
Cal Poly's forest management practices are also guided by the Forest Stewardship Council's principles and criteria for certified forests.
2004
General Management Plan
2011 Swanton Pacific Ranch Management Plan
NTMP Documents
Nonindustrial Timber Management Plan (NTMP)
The following document is the text of the public section of the Valencia Creek NTMP filed by Cal Poly State University Foundation, and approved by CDF in 2001.
Timber Harvest Plan
The Forestry Program has completed two Timber Harvest Plans for Little Creek Unit that complied with State and Local Timber Regulations. The first harvest was completed in 1990-91 and harvested 1.5 million bf for a gross return of $200,000. The second was undertaken in 1993-95 and grossed $542,803 for the same amount of timber. The difference in return is due to the increased price for timber in recent years. Approximately 260 acres were harvested in total. Timber harvesting is done by Big Creek Lumber Company or others, depending on the sale bid.
Preparations to develop a THP for the Scotts Creek unit will be resumed
if zoning changes can be obtained on the Scotts Creek Unit.
Old Growth Policy
No old growth trees live or dead will be harvested on lands of Swanton Pacific Ranch. Old Growth characteristic redwood trees can be described as being approximately 60 inches at DBH and were present in the dominant overstory during the late successional stages of forest development of the first-growth stands (pre 1800's). These trees have outward indicators such as platy bark with deep fissures, basal hollows with fire scars of multiple ages, large complex branching structures, flat tops, and limbs at least 8-10 inches in diameter that provide an opportunity for platforms/nesting.
In very rare instances, an old-growth tree might have to be cut for workplace or public safety issue.
Reforestation
Redwood resprouts after harvesting and so no replanting is required; however, understocked areas and group selection harvest areas are planted with redwood to increase the redwood component. Careful monitoring and thinning of the existing clumps is undertaken. The redwood harvest in the early 1900's included burning which may have helped the regrowth become stronger since the sprouts came from lower on the sumps and in some cases below the ground surface. Redwood sprouts regenerating above ground level have a weakness at the joint that makes them more susceptible to windthrow. The Forest Management Plan (Big Creek, 1991) recommends monitoring and experimenting with redwood sprouts.
Douglas-fir does not re-sprout and so must be planted where desired. Some replanting of Monterey pines may be undertaken from stock resistant to pitch canker. Some riparian reforestation will also be undertaken along Scotts Creek for habitat improvement rather than forest harvesting, in conjunction with input from the Scotts Creek Watershed Council (SCWC).
Erosion Control
Erosion control during harvesting operations is addressed as a component of the THP for each unit. Maintenance of uneven-aged forest stands and a diversity of forest canopy helps to ensure ground cover and minimize erosion. In addition, all bridge approaches are rocked to minimize entry of fine particulate matter into streambeds in accordance with the Interim 2090 forestry rules. The Roads inventory identified culverts and road crossings that need to be maintained and this information has been entered in the FNR GIS database. Road maintenance is performed annually in the spring and early fall to minimize erosional damage. No road use is permitted with vehicles between October and April. ATV's and a Polaris Ranger are utilized for access to support forestry and research operations.
Fire
There is always the danger of fire that is increased by the fuel loading of the area. The biggest fire in the area in recent history was in 1948, and the effects are still to be seen in the extensive fire scarring of redwood and Douglas-fir trees and the abundant distribution of tanoak in some of the forest stands. This fire has also produced significant amounts of decay in the lower butt logs of fire-damaged Douglas-fir trees. Those trees with damage have been removed to the extent possible in the recent harvests. Fire risk in the grassland is reduced by livestock grazing and in the forest by thinning of the understory and hardwoods.
Pests and Diseases
Redwood suffers from pests and diseases such as damping off and Heterobasidium annosum, while Douglas-fir may be attacked by insects such as the western spruce budworm and the Douglas-fir tussock moth which are defoliators. The fir engraver beetle attacks thin-barked, young trees and the tops of older trees as well as fresh slash. Diseases that may affect Douglas-fir include root and butt rot, black stain fungus, shoestring fungus, red ring rot, red-brown butt rot and needle cast (Claypool et al, 1991). The preferred management to prevent such attacks is to maintain a healthy stand, removing diseased trees, and monitoring of the site for disease presence.
There are two endemic pest/diseases of the Monterey pine stands. These are the engraver beetles (Ips spp.) and the western gall rust (Peridermium harknessii). These problems have been kept under control by good slash disposal practices and by the removal of trees or limbs infected with western gall rust. The most serious threat to Monterey pine is pitch canker. Up to 80 - 90% of the Monterey pines may ultimately be killed by pitch canker and it can be spread to other species of the pinaceae family. Other potential Monterey pine diseases are the redband needle blight and shoestring root rot. Additional potential insect infestations include red turpentine beetles, aphids, borers, caterpillars and moths. Any of these can be a problem but are not at this time.
Hardwoods and now conifers are affected by sudden oak death (SOD) that currently is not present in Swanton Pacific Ranch or Valencia Creek units but needs to be monitored and vigorously handled if it should appear. Removal of the affected trees and non-contamination is the recommended treatment.
Streams
The permitted distance from streambanks for logging activities to take place varies according the class stream and the slope based on the Forest Practice Rules for Threatened and Impaired Watersheds that are updated periodically. Perennial creeks are Class I streams and the intermittent ones are Class III streams. For streams that provide habitat for coho salmon or are direct tributaries of such streams (all of those on Swanton Pacific land) the Wetland Lake Protection Zone (WLPZ) is 75 to 200 feet and the cutting must leave 80% of the shade covering.
Roads
Preventative measures such as rolling dips and water bars have been installed during logging operations to minimize erosion. Harvest residues are lopped and scattered and tractor crushed on the skid trails so as to reduce erosion and to allow for decomposition into the soil. Major roads used by forestry are repaired as needed and Little Creek road to the cabins is to be rocked in the coming year. Road repairs are also to be undertaken in Valencia Creek during the 2003-04 season.
Monitoring
Ongoing monitoring of forest health and growth is undertaken by the maintenance of the CFI plots and periodic onsite checks. CFI plots have already been established in the Little Creek Unit, Scotts Creek Unit and Valencia Creek. The CFI plots on the remaining Swanton Pacific Ranch forests are currently being installed. The purchase of data logging equipment would facilitate the data gathering process and the purchase of a differential beacon receiver would improve the accuracy of hand-held GPS equipment for locational positions.
The flumes on Little Creek are also monitored to determine water quality and quantity and are in the process of being repaired and strengthened after damage from the 1998 storms. In addition, it would be desirable to re-instrument and restore the USGS gaging station, abandoned for more than 20 year, once the County places a stream bottom control point to stabilize it. The County has expressed an interest in using the station as one of the County's flood estimation gauges.
See Public Summary of Research & Monitoring Activities.
Future Plans
Another harvest plan needs to be submitted for Scotts Creek, possibly subsequent to a request for rezoning. Management and culling of the Monterey pine stand is necessary to promote disease resistant native stock. The forest management plan needs to be updated and incorporate individual NTMPs for both Valencia and Swanton. It is also desirable to construct a Forestry Equipment Center to house the sawmill and other forestry equipment. A water monitoring system is planned for both the forestry and overall ranch activities.