POGONIP - CONTROLLED BURN

This is a controlled burn in Pogonip Open Space. It’s a 660 acre area adjacent to Santa Cruz,CA. This burn had several purposes. One was to reid the area of non-native grasses such as ryes, oats, and barleys. These grasses were introduced many years ago from Europe. Almost 30% of all vegetation is non-native! One of the most difficult ones to control is Eucalyptus trees.

Another purpose was to open the area for the Ohlone Beetle or sometimes referred to as the Onlone Tiger Beetle.This insect is found almost exclusively in the coastal marine zone of California. The beetles mate in the open and with extensive coverage of the non-native grasses they can’t find any open space to mate. Every year trails are closed during mating season to avoid any impact on their ritual. I have seen many small holes about 1/8 “ diameter that drop straight dwon into the beetles burrows. At the time of the burn I was a Field Supervisor with the Parks Division and I was assigned to provide individuals to assist the Fire Department.
Several Fire Protection Units from around that area used this exercise to train wildland fire fighting techniques. It was very exciting to be a part of the burn and to document the operation.