MidPen presents wildfire resiliency plan, regional trail projects and wildlife crossing plans to Woodside council

The Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District told the Woodside Town Council on July 22 that it has ramped up wildfire resiliency work while continuing land stewardship and trail development across its preserves.

MidPen representative Margaret McNiven said the agency manages roughly 72,000 acres and "250 miles of trails," and described a four-part wildfire program of vegetation management, prescribed fire, mapping and monitoring. "The mission ... is to acquire and preserve a regional green belt of open space land in perpetuity, protect and restore the natural environment, and provide opportunities for ecologically sensitive public enjoyment and education," McNiven said.

Why it matters: MidPen lands abut parts of Woodside and other San Mateo County communities. Council members and residents asked how MidPen coordinates fuel-reduction work with local fire agencies and what it means for public access and local hazard planning.

Presenters said the district has accelerated fuel-reduction activities since the CZU Lightning Complex fires in 2020 and recently completed prescribed burns, the first in about 15 years in a given preserve. Zoe Kirsten Tucker, speaking on wildfire work, said MidPen is using shaded fuel breaks, defensible-space work, eucalyptus removal, and other vegetation-management techniques and that some areas will be retreated on a schedule (she cited 2027 for some fuel-reduction retreatments).

Josh Hugg, MidPen government affairs program manager, described how land acquisition typically involves the Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) buying property and transferring it to MidPen for long-term stewardship. The presenters said the district now places more emphasis on stewardship, trail access and fuel-management staffing than in its earliest decades of mostly acquisition.

MidPen also described several regional trail and access projects. The presentation highlighted plans labeled in MidPen materials as the Persimmon (Persimmon/Purisima) To The Sea trail and associated parking and shuttle strategies at Verde Road and Skyline to improve access to Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve. McNiven and Tucker said the district hopes to link regional trail segments to the Bay Trail and explore leveraging the Dumbarton Rail Corridor for bicycle and pedestrian access.

The district also summarized a Highway 17 wildlife undercrossing and pedestrian-bridge concept intended to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions and improve mountain lion connectivity between ranges; that project is undergoing environmental review and MidPen is seeking construction funding partners.

On wildlife and public-health issues, speakers flagged second-generation anticoagulant rodenticide poisoning in raptors and predators, noting prior incidents of poisoned bobcats in the area and ongoing legislative outreach to restrict those poisons.

MidPen staff urged residents to expect public notice if and when prescribed burns are planned in the Woodside area and said the district is increasing dedicated vegetation-management crews. The presenters also described MidPen’s outreach tiers for nonprofit partnerships and an active docent/event calendar for educational activities.

Discussion vs. decision: The session was a presentation and Q&A; no council policy or vote resulted from the item. Council members asked for follow-ups including budget allocations and more detail on how MidPen prioritizes fuel-management work.

Ending: MidPen offered to follow up with town staff on budget and program questions. Council members thanked the presenters for the update.

Quotes used in this article come from MidPen presenters at the July 22, 2025 Woodside Town Council meeting and from the council Q&A recorded in the meeting transcript.