Porter Ranch, photo by Kiliii Yuyan
Fighting Wildfires Before They Start With more than 4,000 acres of conserved land under its protection, ESF takes the threat of wildfire seriously. Before and during the fire season, our land stewards mow fire breaks around fence lines and structures. The team also reduces fuel loads by clearing brush and non-native vegetation. Through managed grazing on ESF’s Porter Ranch, cattle naturally reduce excess grasses on a stretch of coastal prairie adjacent to the town of Las Lomas. We also communicate closely with local fire and emergency service agencies, sharing information and identifying potential risks and resources on ESF lands. “Drawing on the technical expertise of GIS mapping specialist Charlie Endris, the Foundation has developed an online map to share with North County Fire and other first responders,” says ESF Stewardship Director Dash Dunkell. “The map features up-to-date locations of key infrastructure (left, clockwise from top) Managed grazing reduces excess grass at Porter Ranch; from a fire break, ESF Land Acquisition Manager Kevin Contreras looks out over Elkhorn Highlands Reserve, where eucalyptus threaten maritime chaparral and seasonal wetlands; Elkhorn Slough Reserve has removed more than 300 eucalyptus to restore native habitat.
Taking Out the Trash Our land team often says that the lands we acquire range from “the best of the best to the worst of the worst” — some are in relatively pristine condition, while others take significant work to restore to health. ESF’s newly protected Banez property — nestled between El Chamisal and Blohm Ranch, overlooking Porter Marsh — fell toward the latter end of the spectrum. With the help of several stalwart volunteers, ESF land steward Ken Collins and conservation specialist Connor O’Hara-Baker removed more than 75 tons of trash from the property. We accomplished the cleanup with our tractor, an excavator, plenty of hard work — and the generous support of members like you. Now that the trash has been taken out of the property, we can attend to healing native habitat by removing invasive plants and clearing old barbed wire fences to allow wildlife to move safely between our conservation lands. n 6
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tidal exchange
