A HARD LOSS FIRE TAKES OUT CAL POLY'S SWANTON PACIFIC RANCH By Ching Lee
Reprinted with permission from the California Farm Bureau Federation
Recent wildfires have burned some of the state's educational and research properties, with university staff and officials still assessing losses and how to move forward. An educational and research ranch managed by Cal Poly San Luis Obispo was perhaps the most notable college property to be hit, and wildfires also burned six reserves in the University of California Natural Reserve System. The Cal Poly Swanton Pacific Ranch in Santa Cruz County suffered destruction to much of its property and structures when the CZU Lightning Complex fires swept through parts of Santa Cruz and San Mateo counties [in August.] The 3,200-acre working ranch is known for its forestry activities, grass-fed beef program and organic crop production. [Weeks later,] access to the ranch remained restricted due to ongoing spot fires, downed power lines and sinkholes, university spokeswoman Haley Marconett said. A full assessment of the damage, she added, will take weeks, perhaps even months. Though cleanup has started, "it could take years for us to resume the level of production that we were at with some of our operations," said Brian Dietterick, director of the ranch. The historic research property was donated to the
college in 1993 by late Cal Poly alumnus and Orchard Supply Hardware founder Al Smith, who wanted the site maintained exclusively for agricultural, recreational and educational purposes. Seven of the ranch's nine houses, used by university staff, students, guest instructors and other visitors, "burned to the ground," Dietterick said. The infrastructure on the sites is being assessed to determine if they could be occupied with temporary housing and whether permanent facilities could be rebuilt at those locations. In addition, two classrooms, along with computers and infrastructure that provided high-speed internet to the ranch, were completely lost. Dietterick said the university is initially looking to restore phone service and then internet to at least a portion of the ranch. "There are a lot of things that are being thought about right now," he said, noting that cleanup at each facility is "not as straightforward as it might seem," due to potential hazardous waste and protocols that must be followed. Though most of the ranch's apple trees survived the fire, Dietterick said he doubts the orchard will open for U-pick, which typically starts around Labor Day weekend. Some of the crop may be recovered, he added, "but some of those decisions have yet to be made." Fewer than 50 head of cattle remained on the ranch at the time of the fire and were safety transported to the main campus; some of the animals have since been sold. The ranch typically runs about 300 head of cattle from January through June as part of its grass-fed beef program. Because much of the rangeland and water infrastructure for livestock burned, Dietterick said, it's yet to be determined where the ranch's resident herd will be housed in the long term. "We're currently assessing all the work needs and the ability to bring people back in a temporary-housing situation," so they can work on projects such as restoring livestock water and tending to crops, he said. ŠPORTERFIELD One initial priority is to salvage the existing water system Charred rangeland at Swanton Pacific Ranch.
22 California Cattleman October 2020