Oak Protection Project Update

I happened to put in some trail miles at LosTrancos recently and spotted some of the results of the oak protection project that I reported on in my post of November 16^th. The grant funded project, the latest of it’s type undertaken by MidPen and the CCC, was initiated to protect heritage oaks by removing California bay trees in an attempt to arrest the spread of SOD (Sudden Oak Death). There’s a lot more detail in my November 16^th post, but the bay trees act as unwitting hosts of SOD spreading the spores in wind and rain. The bay trees can pose a significant risk to vulnerable oak species if they are located within 15 feet. The photos below show some areas near the Fault Trail where bay trees have been cut and the stumps treated to prevent re-growth. Even the bay leaves have removed from the ground, as the leaves are where the spores reside in effected trees. The down wood has been bucked up and mostly removed as well. The photos also show some of the mossy old oak trees that the project is intended to protect.