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MINUTES
BTCSD Greenbelt Stewardship Plan
Page 1 of 5
PUBLIC MEETING - June 25, 2005
Brooktrails Community Center - 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Presented by the Recreation, Greenbelt & Conservation Committee
Facilitated by Brian Weller
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Mr. Weller asked how many people had been at the last public meeting in October 2004 and about half of the audience raised their hands. He briefly recapped the history of the "CFIP Report" which had been presented and discussed at that meeting. Since then the Recreation Committee had done more work on the overall issue of a "greenbelt stewardship plan," an issue that goes back for many years. Mr. Weller described that the meeting would be divided into three parts: first, about a half hour of setting a frame or context through which to view the topic; second, a presentation by Mary Ziady, Chair of the Recreation Committee (which in itself would be in three parts: the greenbelt at large; fire issues; possible management and defense). Paper and pens were distributed so that questions could be written down as they occurred. The third part of the meeting would be an interactive conversation among the participants. Mr. Weller commented that the meeting was being video- and audiotaped so as to preserve all comments. During the course of the meeting, he presented prepared slides, and also noted down input from the audience on transparencies for projection and later reference.
Following this introduction, the participants were engaged in several exercises dealing with how our minds work and how our perceptions are formed. Slides were used to demonstrate how differently different people perceive and interpret the same data, particularly when only a small part of a picture can be seen. Mr. Weller commented also that perceptions can change over time. Audience members participated in small groups with each other during the exercises, trying to interpret the picture they were being shown. Mr. W briefly discussed the physical process of brain stimulation/arousal commenced when undertaking such a task. The mind first reviews its database (memory based on past experience) to find, if possible, a match to what it is seeing now. The brain tries to use the past to understand the present, but sometimes the present is completely new. Mr. W said the new greenbelt stewardship plan required a fresh view and should not be linked to the past. He continued that along with the comparison process, the mind makes judgments about what it sees, and we bring all of our assumptions and needs through our perceptions as we try to make the match. He commented that attitudes about change and perceptions of "normality" become more entrenched as we age and are based more in the past. All these factors contribute to "pre-conceptions." What people focus on habitually becomes what they see. He gave the example that foresters and "tree-huggers" will see the greenbelt differently. These facts mean that we must be aware of our assumptions, judgments, agendas and preconceptions in order to be able to tolerate another person's point of view. Mr. W said in his experience working with groups of people, the biggest sticking point is "the truth," and he said there is no "the truth." We need to acquire enough data in our databases to be able to make decisions. He said the best way to check whether something must be considered is when you start to feel uncomfortable. This means one of your perceptions is being challenged. He asked if we can suspend our judgments, get more data in our databases, at this meeting.
After a brief break, Director Ziady took the floor. She said that an ad hoc committee of the Recreation Committee consisting of herself, Wallace Stahle and Jerry Garvey has been working on a draft greenbelt stewardship plan. The Greenbelt is our watershed, open space, recreation, wildlife habitat and residential environment, providing beauty, biodiversity and supporting aquatic life. Issues involved in maintaining the resilience of the greenbelt ecosystem are: water and soil conditions; forest and species diversity and habitat; fire risk and hazard, and recreation. Protecting the greenbelt will lower all of Brooktrails' fire risk. A comprehensive plan needs to include: Access; Recreation; Restoration (from the impact of logging and from human habitation); Erosion; and Protection (forest protection and fire protection).
What, she asked, goes into creating a stewardship plan? Data from the Department of Transportation; Public Meetings; the Recreation, Greenbelt & Conservation Committee and its ad hoc committee; input from CDF, the California Forestry Plan, the Sheriff's Department for the evacuation plan, and the Brooktrails Fire Department and the Board of Directors.
Director Ziady assured the audience they have had input. Because of this, logging for (a) profit or (b) to subsidize costs, and herbicide use will not be in the stewardship plan. This means increased hand labor; higher costs; perhaps, slower progress; the need for the community to commit to care of the greenbelt, in thought and in action, and a healthy water source and biodiverse forest as the heart of Brooktrails.
Neighborhoods and volunteer work is a large part of this plan.
Recreation. Active enjoyment consists of the Par Course, ball field and playground facilities; fishing; Ohl Redwood Grove, which is being developed. Passive enjoyment consists of trails. The recreation part of the plan should include restoration, improvement and maintenance of trails. Director Ziady gave credit to the Wild Turkey Club and the work they do to maintain the trails. Access is needed where trailheads have been lost to private property, and the District needs to investigate regaining it.
Erosion & Sedimentation. Director Ziady said this is an issue you have to care about, because it affects water quality, silts up our reservoirs (which we have to pay to clean out), impacts fish and other aquatic life, and can cause flood damage. The foremost cause of erosion is the county roads and culverts; other sources are old logging roads, landslides and earth slippage, and construction, both by the District itself and by private lot owners. Ms. Ziady said the District itself was developing a conscious awareness and care about erosion issues, but the private constructors needed education. The erosion issue was addressed in the CFIP Report. Ms. Ziady said the District needs to work with DOT to get the county erosion problem fixed.
Zones for Management. The ad hoc committee is looking at the following zones, which would have custom criteria for management:
Private residences and property.
Border zone - the greenbelt/residential interface.
Community park zone - greenbelt parcels too small to be viable forestland and surrounded by private lots.
Core zone - areas of greenbelt large enough to be viable forest land.
Fire defense zone - strategic area treated as a Shaded Fuel Break or helicopter landing zone.
Evacuation route - roads for emergency exit and for entry of emergency equipment and personnel.
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