Aptos Truck Trail Forest Health Project by The Resource Conservation District

Prescribed fire preparation work began in mid-July along Aptos Creek Fire Road in The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park, the Soquel Demonstration State Forest, and land owned by Redwood Empire. This 211-acre project will prepare the upper Aptos Creek watershed for later pile- and broadcast-burns by State Parks personnel.

Crews are in the process of creating burn piles, lopping and scattering downed woody debris, masticating ladder fuels, felling trees that pose a safety hazard within 100ft of the road, and felling some douglas-fir where they are degrading hardwood habitat. Project leads from State Parks and the Resource Conservation District will ensure that certain areas are left untreated to maintain a mosaic of diversity.

“This project will allow us to reintroduce fire to the park,” says Hudson Northrop, Environmental Scientist for State Parks. “The reintroduction of fire will benefit and maintain some of the most diverse portions of the park, which are slowly disappearing in the absence of periodic fire.”

A literature review conducted by the US Forest Service suggests that ecosystems similar to those found in the project area historically experienced fire return intervals of 6-44 years. These fires helped madrone and other hardwoods compete against douglas-fir, which can grow quickly and shade out shorter tree species. According to State Parks personnel, most of the upper Aptos Creek watershed has not experienced fire in over 100 years.

The Resource Conservation District of Santa Cruz County was awarded a grant from CalFire through the California Climate Investments Fund to work directly with California State Parks to plan and fund implementation of the Aptos Truck Trail Forest Health Project. The project is permitted through a Cal VTP Project Specific Analysis conducted by CalFire.

“I’m very excited about this project,” says Laurel Bard, Forest Health Program Specialist with the RCD. “It’s going to give State Parks the opportunity to safely reintroduce fire to this area, which is really needed to help the unique ecosystems that occur in the upper Aptos Creek watershed.”

Project Manager Contact Information: Laurel Bard at the RCD - [email protected]

Hudson Northrop, Environmental Scientist at State Parks – [email protected]

*more info to come