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Officials say draft forest management plan is a stewardship framework, not a logging plan; CEQA review pending after scientists' letter
Summary
City staff and commissioners clarified that the draft Carmel Forest Management Plan is a non-regulatory, policy-level guidance document intended to protect and sustain forest resources; staff will complete a CEQA review (by consultant Due Deck/DUTEK) and consider clarifying language after a letter from outside scientists raised concerns that the draft could be read as a logging prescription.
City staff and residents debated the goals and wording of the draft Forest Management Plan during the March 12 Forest and Beach Commission meeting, with the director and the city forester telling commissioners the document is a policy and stewardship framework rather than a prescription that authorizes commercial logging.
"The draft forest management plan is not a logging plan," the director said, stressing the document "does not authorize commercial logging or large-scale tree removal" and that existing permit processes and the city's tree ordinance continue to apply for any specific removals. The director also described the plan as a living document prepared through a multi-year, community-informed process beginning in 2021 and incorporating a Davy Tree inventory, community workshops, independent ecological review and stewardship recommendations.
Commissioners reviewed a letter submitted by Dr. Chad Hansen and others (delivered by a local group identified in the record as the Carmel Trust for Native Forest Science) that characterized parts of the draft and an appendix as potentially implying broad removals. Staff and several commissioners said some wording in an appendix or an illustrative work-plan example had been misread and recommended clarifying language so readers would not conflate that example with the city's actual operational catch-up plan from 2023.
City forester Justin provided recent operational figures: "our crew removed six dead trees, planted 16 trees, and pruned nine trees" during the reported period, and staff reported a replanting compliance rate of about 89 percent. Commissioners and commenters emphasized public-safety motivations behind the 2023 catch-up removals (targeting dead, dying and very-poor trees identified in the Davy inventory), and asked staff to ensure ambiguous language is removed so future readers do not interpret the plan as automatically authorizing large-scale removals.
On environmental review, staff said the city engaged outside consultant Due Deck (also referenced as DUTEK in written materials) to advise whether the plan qualifies for a CEQA exemption or requires additional environmental review; the timeline and next steps will depend on that determination. Commissioners and members of the public urged continued public outreach, clarification of replacement-tree policies (including tracking of a replacement fund), and transparent accounting of permits and tree-replacement outcomes.
Why it matters: the management plan will guide how the city manages urban forest resources and interfaces with wildfire-preparedness work, the planning commission and potential future council action. The CEQA determination and clarifying edits to the draft will shape public understanding and future implementation steps.
