Commission reviews Douglas Family Preserve management plan as residents press for more foxtail control
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Summary
Staff presented a management plan for the 70‑acre Douglas Family Preserve, describing invasive‑species removal, wildfire‑resiliency projects funded with Cal Fire and Coastal Conservancy grants, and an expanded volunteer program; residents urged more timely foxtail mowing, bagging and off‑site disposal to reduce hazards to dogs.
Monique O'Connor, the city's open space planner, presented the Douglas Family Preserve management plan to the Parks and Recreation Commission on March 25, outlining recent and planned work on the 70‑acre preserve: invasive acacia removal, trail maintenance, wildfire‑resiliency projects, targeted restoration and public outreach.
"Foxtails cannot be fully eradicated from DFP," O'Connor said, describing foxtail (Hordeum murinum) as a widespread annual invasive that recruits in disturbed areas and noting limits on staff capacity and ecological constraints such as nesting bird season.
Staff reviewed recent accomplishments and funding. The wildfire‑resiliency program, which covers vegetation management and defensible‑space work across 24 open spaces, is supported by grants from the California Coastal Conservancy and Cal Fire and totals about $4.5 million. The Park Foundation recently awarded a $150,000 grant earmarked for part‑time staffing and contracted vegetation management at Douglas. Channel Islands Restoration conducted targeted invasive‑removal work this winter that treated roughly 20 acres of the preserve, focused along primary trails, with clippings raked and removed for off‑site disposal.
O'Connor described a tiered approach: short‑term defensible‑space work ahead of high fire season, a primary project season for more intensive vegetation management timed to avoid nesting birds, and site‑specific active restoration that requires a year of site prep and plant orders before installation. She said staff aims to prioritize wildfire safety while also preparing the preserve for long‑term restoration where funding exists.
Public commenters pressed staff for more frequent and better‑timed mowing and for contractor practices that bag and haul foxtail clippings off‑site to general waste (not green‑waste mulch stations) to avoid propagating seeds. Jim Marshall (Friends of Douglas Family Preserve) said community members welcome management and volunteer organization but asked the city to "stop making it worse" by leaving clippings on trails. Paul Stern (president of the SB Mason Neighborhood Association) urged clearer two‑way communication with neighborhood groups and proposed an assigned commissioner liaison for the 93109 area.
Parks staff acknowledged the concerns, explained limits on staffing and regulatory timing, and said they intend to develop a volunteer‑service agreement that would allow trained volunteers to conduct certain activities without staff present and to couple volunteer support with contractor timing to hit short windows before foxtails set seed. Director Jill Zachary noted the department lacks a volunteer coordinator and that long‑term active restoration is expensive; she said the April defensible‑space season would begin on April 6 and that staff will pursue additional grants and Park Foundation partnership to scale restoration work.
On disposal practices, staff said they ask contractors to send cut invasive seed heads to general waste rather than green‑waste mulch stations, but that regulation of contractor disposal can be difficult once material leaves the site. Commissioners and staff agreed to pursue better signage about seasonal risks, enhanced community outreach and the volunteer‑service agreement framework.
Next steps: staff will implement defensible‑space work starting in April, advance the volunteer‑service agreement with the Mesa Neighborhood Association and Park Foundation, continue seeking grant funds for larger restoration, and refine timing and contractor specifications for foxtail management and disposal.
