Goal 1. Restoration and long-term maintenance of oak savannah and woodland conditions throughout the project area.

The "restoration" of "oak savannah and woodland conditions" from a preexisting Douglas-fir/Brachypodium condition "throughout the project area" is well underway, as described in the preceding "Current Condition" section.  The ultimate quality of the transformation process will depend, in large part, on the continued successful completion of short-term tasks and objectives described in this (Goal 1) section of the plan.  The "long-term maintenance" of those conditions is discussed in more detail for the western portion of the property (residential development) in the Goal 3 section, and for the eastern portion of the property (oak savannah habitat) in the Goal 4 section. 

As this is being written (March 28, 2005), most of the principal tasks needed to begin the conversion of Douglas-fir/Brachypodium to oak/native grasses habitat have been completed:

1) Douglas-fir and grand fir overstory has been removed with minimum damage to hardwood understory and with spatially limited (but mostly unnecessary) damage to native grassland fragment in SE corner of the property;

2) Douglas-fir, oak, madrone, bigleaf maple, cottonwood, bitter cherry, and crabapple "leave" trees have been selected to begin the restoration process, and ladder fuels, logging debris, and competitive weeds have been cleared away from their trunks and crowns;

3) Logging debris, ladder fuels, and downed wood have been removed from beneath the driplines of leave trees and salvaged for firewood or hand- or machine-piled into discrete areas for burning at a later date;

4) Areas damaged by logging and road-building have been mechanically repaired and planted;

5) Remaining areas of the land  (other than leave trees, burn piles, and repaired areas) have been seeded with native forbs and grasses and planted with native bulbs;

6) Plans for weeding Brachypodium and poisonoak with regular spot spraying treatments (see Goal 6) have been approved and undertaken.

The next actions involve careful inventories of emerging plant communities and systematic treatment of identified weed species, particularly Brachypodium and poisonoak.  Meadow burning, pile burning, and seeding of burned areas are remaining major tasks that will need to be performed.  These tasks are summarized at the end of this section, and described in more detail in the sections on weeding (Goal 6) and burning (Goal 8).

A key strategy for achieving Goal 1 in a timely fashion (1-3 years), with as limited expense possible, is the blending of plants remaining from logging and site preparation ("relict" plants) with wide-spaced seeding of several native forbs and grasses, with the idea that the more robust or better adapted species would quickly take hold and beginning seeding in the intermediary areas.  Seeding was augmented by the planting of bulk quality bulbs in four designated areas. 

To document the strategy of blending established plants and select seeds, the following two lists were first assembled in mid-February with assistance from Rod Slattum, and following detailed consultations with Phil Hays, Lynda Boyer, Rana Foster, Craig Edminster, and Debbie Johnson.

The "Relict List" includes all of the native species remaining on the property.  They are listed and mapped as they are identified.  Rod Slattum or I have verified all identifications and documentary photographs have also been taken of most species.  The "Add List" includes under-represented native plant species known to exist on the property, thought to have existed on the property at one time or another, or that are specifically intended to be introduced to the property.  These two lists are described in greater detail in the following paragraphs. They are intended to be organic, and to be updated at regular intervals during the life of this project.  A third list, weed species ("Control List"), is described and given in the Goal 6 section.

Relict List  

At the present time (March 28, 2005), the Relict List contains ten tree species, seven shrubs, six bulbs, eight forbs, one vine, one grass, one fern, one rush, and one horsetail, for a total of 36 native vascular plant species.  It is expected that the number of identified plants will become much greater as the growing season progresses and more forbs and grasses begin to grow.

"Focus species" are identified with an asterisk and bold font in the "Type" column.  These are the select native trees, shrubs, vines, forbs, bulbs, grasses, and ferns that are believed to best constitute upland Dixon Creek savannah conditions as they may have existed in this limited area about 200 years ago.  For that reason, particular attention is paid to their current status as a measure of maintaining desired conditions through time.  Additional species may become elevated to a "Focus" status, or some species currently on the focus list may simply be eliminated, or else replaced by better representative species types through time. 

The "Status" column identifies the current management attention given to each species.  Bold fonts and asterisks denote "high priority" treatment, whether due to circumstances, or because the species is on the "Focus" list and needing immediate attention.  "Cleared" means that select plants have been cleared of competing weeds, ladder fuels, and logging debris, and are considered semi-permanently "established" as a species.  "Present" means the species has been noted in a number of locations, but no particular management action has been taken.  "Few" and "Rare" mean that only one or two ("Rare") specimens have been noted at the site, or just a scattered "Few" in more than one location.

Add List

The Add List contains the names of species known to exist in the immediate area and the names of species specifically intended to be introduced into the area, if they are believed not to be present.  This list also contains the native trees, shrubs, and perennial grasses and flowers highly recommended to be used for residential development, particularly for street landscaping (see Goal 3).

Arrangement and column headings for the Add List are similar to the Relict List.  "Focus" species are the same listings, and for the same reasons.  The "Status" column has different management headings, however.  "Street" refers to species that can be used for permanent street plantings, as may be required by city or county zoning regulations (Goal 3).  "Woods" refers to woodland plants that can be used to landscape yards, or included in wooded areas of the oak savannah.  "Fender" refers to plants specifically associated with Fender blue butterflies; particularly Kincaid's lupine (see Goal 2).  "Prairie" refers to plants grown in regularly disturbed (burned) open areas.  "2005 Seed" refers to plants seeded in March, 2005 (see Appendix C).

No trees are intended to be planted in the eastern savannah area for the next several decades.  Madrones are intended to be planted along the street of the residential area, as required to meet regulations.  
Relict List.  Table of native vascular plants that have been identified for retention on project area following logging and site prep, as of March 21, 2004.

Add List.  Table of native plants planned to be added to the project area over time, including seeds and bulbs planted during March, 2005. 

The following listing of short-term, mid-term, and long-term tasks summarizes the actions that remain to be taken to complete Goal 1.

Short-term Tasks

2005                            Complete transformation from conifer forest to oak woodland.

Spring               Map and document native plant and animal species; spot spray weed species; harvest windfall.

Summer            Spray weeds; harvest native seeds; burn south meadow.

Fall                   Spray weeds; inventory; spread some gathered seed; cover piles.

2006                            Complete site-prep, weeding, initial seeding, and planting.

Winter  Burn piles; rake ashes; seed and plant bare areas.

Spring   Spray weeds; harvest windfall; establish experimental plantations.

Summer            Spray weeds; inventory plants; gather seeds.

Fall                   Spray weeds, inventory plants, spread seeds

Mid-term Tasks

2007-2014                   Establish Kincaid's lupine & Indian-type burning experiments.

Winter  Plant trees and shrubs; prune; weed; harvest windfall.

Spring   Weed; inventory plants; harvest windfall, berries, bulbs.

Summer            Burn meadows (Goal 8); inventory plants; harvest bulbs, seeds.

Fall                   Burn woods (Goal 7); inventory plants; harvest nuts, bulbs, seeds.

Long-term Tasks

2015-2104                   Old-growth savannah conditions develop through attrition. 

In order to achieve oak savannah conditions, a loss of nearly all trees over

time or during an episodic event is acceptable or even desirable, so long as:

1) At least a few each of mature oak, Douglas-fir, and madrone exist in good

health ;

2) Native shrubs, bulbs, forbs, and grasses continue to form the understory to

the oak savannah area (Goal 4), and

3) Native shrubs, bulbs, forbs, and grasses continue to constitute principal

landscape plants for the residential area (Goal 3).

Burning schedules and weed control activities will depend on the findings of the

mid-term experiments.  Dead limbs, tops, and trees will be left standing as

wildlife habitat (particularly for bluebirds), but will be harvested within a season

of falling to the ground.  This is to simulate regular firewood gathering on the

parts of the Chepenafa 200 years ago, and also to guard against smothering

understory plants.

Summary

Most of the short-term work needed to perform this goal has already been completed.  Native grass prairie and oak woodlands have been restored from a transitional conifer forest condition, and a plan is in place to continue and enhance the process.  The project is barely underway however (90 days since beginning), despite the significant progress that has already been made.

The mid-term success of this goal is largely dependent on Goals 3, 6, 8, and 9.