| | Published August 28th, 2024
| Caltrans updates Orinda City Council about vegetation management on Highway 24
| | | By Sora O'Doherty | | |
How Caltrans deals with wildfire fuel along Highway 24 through Orinda was explained to the City Council on Aug. 20 by Helen Blackmore, Acting District 4 Office Chief and Dave Despain, Maintenance Manager for the East Bay/Delta Region. District 4 covers 2.8 million people, representing 36% of the Bay Area.
With a PowerPoint presentation, they reviewed the history and future of vegetation management since 1987, when the agency adopted a policy of removing vegetation within four to eight feet of roadway pavement with pre-emergent pesticides.
In 1992, however, a programmatic environmental impact report triggered a new, more holistic integrated vegetation management policy, allowing for site specific treatments. Tools available to CalTrans were expanded to include mowing, weed-wacking, hand removal, herbicides, mulch or concrete, and other design elements. This resulted in much reduced use of herbicides. Herbicide use was cut in half from 1992 to 2000 and is still trending downwards.
Blackmore thanked the Moraga Orinda Fire District, because their efforts to have Caltrans address wildfire fuel on Highway 24 in 2019 led to statewide efforts being adopted. The Caltrans representatives particularly called out MOFD Chief Dave Winnacker for his instrumental role in getting fire fuel reduction not only in Orinda but throughout California.
From 2020 to 2021, workshops were held with local fire departments, and in 2021 the pilot East Bay Vegetation Management Plan (VMP) was published -- the first such plan in the state.
In 2022, Caltrans began scaling up its statewide practices to include permanent Caltrans fuels reduction crews, strike teams, and fuels reductions service contracts. District 4, which includes Orinda, was the first ever Caltrans district to have a VMP and fuels reduction service contracts.
In 2025, all 12 Caltrans districts will publish their first five-year VMP, outlining all vegetation management activities and priorities. Next year Caltrans headquarters also plans to publish a public-facing vegetation and wildfire map viewer. District 4 plans to reach out to the City of Orinda three times a year with updates.
Caltrans has a fuels reduction contract for State Route 24 through Orinda for 2025/26 that includes application of pre-emergent herbicides every November, mowing and weed-eating every March/April, and year-round tree trimming, as needed.
During council discussion, City Manager David Biggs talked about interaction with Caltrans and other agencies such as East Bay Municipal Utility District in areas where each has some responsibility for fuel reduction.
One public commenter addressed an area in the city where there appears to be a disagreement between the city and Caltrans about who is responsible and requested clarification and a written agreement. Mayor Darlene Gee said that she hopes that an agreement can be worked out to not leave any areas uncovered. |
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA