Minutes Meeting of May 17, 2000
Meeting called to order at 5:45 pm.
Members present: Gloria Purcell, Keith Mangold, Wade Leschyn, Carroll Ann Hodges, Ann Moser, Tom Forest, Mary Paglieri
Members absent: Richard Izmerian, Jerry Hearn, Tim Frahm,
Staff and Commission present: Gary Lockman

Wade will be temp. secretary again. No minutes reviewed.

Changes to agenda: Put Chris Larson as the very next item, Public Comment will follow Chris’ presentation. Mary’s request via email to the egroups list to move up the Mountain Lion brochure report and put Project Plans and EIRs ahead of master plans and EIRs will be accommodated when she arrives.

Chris Larson passed out his project application:
Applicant Name: San Gregorio Environmental Resource Center Date: April 25, 2000
Contact Name: Chris Larson, Executive Director
Address: P.O. Box 49, San Gregorio, CA 94074
Daytime Telephone Number: 650-726-2499
Evening Telephone Number: 650-560-9543
Project Name: Coastside Herpetological Survey

Brief Description: We would like to hire a herpetological consultant (amphibian and reptile expert) to collect presence/absence data to help us develop strategies for protecting endangered reptiles and amphibians along the San Mateo County coastside. We are specifically interested in the California Red-Legged Frog, the San Francisco Garter Snake, the Western Pond Turtle, and several other species. We plan to use the funding to hire Dr. Dan Holland, an expert on central coast herpetofauna...

The project is estimated to cost $5470. Asking the Fish and Wildlife Committee for $3000 to defray costs. The remaining expenses will be covered by a grant from Patagonia, Inc., and individual donations.

Discussion: Why an LA herpetologist? Dan is a world expert on red legged frog. Typical costs for his field work is $800 to $2,000 per day. He has been in SM county before to do a survey on Whitehead creek and San Pedro creek. Question from the audience, why look for reasons for red legged frog decline here in SMC when they may be declining on a much wider scale. Answer: Here in SMC red legged frog may be having trouble competing with some non-native species such as the bullfrog and largemouth bass. and surviving habitat loss. Tom talked about a similar study at Stanford. Ann: questioned $50 for educational , answer it is just photocopying of Dr. Holland’s id material. The end product would be a nice looking report for county government and regulators. Chris is in contact with Jodi Isacs on a similar survey she is doing for the mid-peninsula lands. Memorial Park and Sam McDonald park lands would be among those surveyed. Gloria expressed a concern over the distribution of the data that it be as wide as possible, including to libraries and non profits as well as governmental agencies. We need an end date for project report publication. Vagueness of the survey sites proposed was discussed: Private lands requests are under consideration first, park requests would probably follow.

Mary arrived at 6:20.

Public comment: Steve Kennedy, saw a muskrat on hwy 101 near 3 weeks ago. He has received letters of endorsement from the cities of Menlo park and Atherton for his Cannonball Express project.

Chairperson’s report: Peggy Beggett has resigned. Tom Forest is resigning, this will be his last meeting. Belinda has resigned from the Park Commission. She was Rose Gibson's appointment. Gary commented that Bern Smith is expected to replace Joe Scott, as Rich Gordon’s appointee on the Park Commission, and Bern has expressed interest in replacing Belinda as Committee liaison. Bern is from the coast. The park planner position is back in the park budget. Castaway proposal is under consideration. The size of the development is the main issue.

Mountain Lion brochure: Mary Paglieri is waiting for the county to come back to her with some revisions to her draft brochure. Gary has given a copy to Rex Caufield but he is currently on leave. Charlie Brock has taken a look at it. He commented that the brochure needs to include a good clear photo of a mountain lion for identification purposes. Some discussion on how the brochure has come to this point. Idea for brochure came out of Pat Sanchez’s list for the scope of work. Gloria asked if there was any subcommittee meetings to review the brochure, Mary answered no. Further discussion centered around the process flow, how the request to create the brochure went straight from staff to Mary, whether the wildlife subcommittee makes up a quorum of the entire committee (it does if everyone attends: Mary, Carroll Ann, Wade, Gloria and Ann Moser are all on the subcommittee) and what would constitute proper notice of the subcommittee meeting. It was agreed that proper notice would be one weeks notice with an with agenda and proposed date, time, and location, emailed to the egroups list server. Subcommittee members should then take negotiation of the finalized date and time offline and a finalized email after the details are worked out should again be sent to the list. Gary requested that I distribute copies of the Mountain Lion scope of work plan at the next meeting, that he sent to Mary, which I was cced on.

Mary left.

Gloria said she would like to be updated with Fitzgerald issues as she needs to leave soon as well.

Gary passed out copies of the San Bruno Master Plan and the forum agenda.

Ann said it was not at the Atherton public library.

Staff needs an output for the committees comment in a form that can be placed in the Commissions packet so it can be included in the Commission meeting June 27th. Needed a week ahead of time to be included in packet (sent straight to Sam) or we could present in person at the June 27th meeting. Trails plan comment period has ended. Fitzgerald increased contract for the additional work for the consultant, two months for comment review. Fitzgerald EIR will not be started until the M.P. is complete. Edgewood Park implementation plan may be done in house. Coyote Point Plan, one response, some adjustments to proposal, if they can accommodate additional needs a contract may be signed in the next couple of weeks.

Ann reported on the three things she took on at the special meeting. Re: the Airport she is looking for Coyote Point birding records so that we can document that Coyote Point is a major migratory stop and wintering ground for sea birds and scooters. She will also look into sinage at Pillar Point. Bair Island EIR (under the auspices from US F&W as part of the Don Edwards preserve) is in comment period, had a public meeting first draft out next winter and restoration started in 2002 or 2003.

Ann suggest that the brainstorming committee material be organized in blocks.

Gloria and Carroll Ann left. Quorum is lost.

Keith asked relative to Fitzgerald, regarding the San Vincente Creek culvert. Gary said it is Mary Burn’s intent to complete the Master Plan and not work on individual pieces until the MP is complete. Keith says the need is to remove the culvert and do bank stabilization. This project is two years out, and the question is how much longer than that the culvert will last.

Kelp issue, Keith talked with F&G today, their goal is to look at competing issues in Monterey bay. F&G is not entertaining any public comment at this point. Late July is the earliest that a public comment session might open. Keith said that one study said there was no impact to kelp in cutting the top four feet, another said there was impacts just from diving in the canopy.

Ann asked if it would be appropriate for the committee so send a letter to the Park Commission supporting the inclusion of the park planner in the county budget.

7:40 motion to adjourn made and seconded.

respectfully submitted,
Wade Leschyn, acting secretary