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Habitat Authority reports restoration progress; council asks for clearer maps and fire-marshall oversight
Summary
La Habra Heights’ Habitat Authority representative reported about 75 acres restored in Powder Canyon (part of ~130 acres total) and described rangers, goat grazing and outreach; the council asked for clearer maps and for the fire marshal to review risk-based clearance plans before additional work.
Katherine Howen, the city’s appointee to the Habitat Authority technical advisory committee, told the council the authority completed about 75 acres of habitat restoration in Powder Canyon this year and that the total restoration in La Habra Heights is roughly 130 acres.
Howen described coordinated work with the Fire Department and the new fire marshal, noting fuel-clearance efforts, removal of hazardous trees, Conservation Corps work in Powder Canyon, and ranger patrols equipped with type 6 engines to provide a 24-hour response and monitor weather conditions. She also noted volunteer hikes, public outreach and requests that the Habitat Authority’s vegetation clearance be signed off by the fire marshal.
Council questions focused on whether habitat clearance decisions were risk-based and requested that future Habitat Authority maps be clearer and include road labels so council and residents can identify specific locations. Council members specifically asked that the fire marshal review the Habitat Authority’s risk-based approach before additional clearance work proceeds; Howen agreed to provide more focused mapping back to the council.
Vector control: The presentation also covered vector-control services and an SIT (sterile insect technique) pilot deploying sterilized male mosquitoes to reduce populations without pesticides. Staff encouraged early-spring outreach for the coming mosquito season, offered door-hanger education and technician visits, and directed residents to glamosquito.org for resources.
Quotation: Howen said the Habitat Authority "removed hazardous trees along Black Walnut Trail emergency access route and fallen trees in the Powder Canyon with the Conservation Corps of Long Beach," and noted the restoration project had received federal approval.
Why this matters: Restoration and fuel-reduction actions balance wildfire risk and ecological objectives; council requested clearer public records and formal input from the fire marshal to ensure clearance decisions are prioritized by risk reduction rather than routine maintenance.
