This subject area includes land management practices on all City-owned open spaces, including those managed for wildlife habitat, public access, and agriculture.  The City manages its open spaces for wildlife habitat, public access and agriculture.  This encourages people to enjoy the City’s open spaces for walking, exercise, wildlife viewing, art, photography and other passive recreation.  These areas are also managed to provide high-value habitat for resident and migratory wildlife of all kinds.  In order to protect the wildlife and the habitat value of these areas, the City encourages people to stay on trails and respect the site-specific rules regarding dogs.

In general, the City will employ a systems approach to managing its open space lands and resources.  A systems approach includes consideration of how a site functions within the context of surrounding land uses as well as how the various components of a site function together.  Toward that end, the City is preparing site-specific management plans for each open space property.  Each plan provides context and a comprehensive management strategy that will be available for staff and interested parties.  These plans will ensure continuity in management practices through changes in City personnel and leadership. 

This subject area also includes goals for managing the City’s leases with tenant farmers on the City’s agricultural land and goals for managing conservation easements on private property.

For more information about how the City manages wildlife within urban areas, please go to the City's Urban Wildlife page.

Recent Accomplishments -- Land and Resource Management

Land Management Plan for the Wildhorse Agricultural Buffer

City open space staff recently completed a land management plan for the Wildhorse Agricultural Buffer that includes land management strategies to encourage burrowing owl habitat in the buffer’s northeast corner. 

The restoration of the ag buffer is focused on the establishment of native plant species that can grow and perpetuate under existing environmental conditions. The key objectives are to establish a native plant community that, with minimal management by the City, can successfully compete with undesirable plant species. Establishment of the native plant community sets the stage for achievement of the City's other management goals for the site, including wildlife habitat enhancement, improving visitor experiences, and reducing conflicts at property boundaries.

The overall vegetation management strategy is designed to encourage the establishment and perpetuation of the native plant community currently being restored. Several other significant vegetation resources exist on site, including a remnant non-productive walnut orchard adjacent to Pole Line Road and a mixed species tree row adjacent to the agricultural fields along the eastern edge of the ag buffer.

The City's wildlife management goals are not focused on managing animals themselves, but rather creating conditions that attract and/or maintain a diverse range of animal species. The basic concept is that if the ag buffer provides food, water, cover, and relatively undisturbed space, it can serve as productive wildlife habitat at the urban/rural edge. If one of these habitat components is lost/compromised, the habitat suitability of the ag buffer could be diminished, and species richness could be lost.

Non-Toxic Weed Control

The City's Open Space Program has dramatically decreased its use of herbicides over the last five years.  Staff work really hard to not use any toxic herbicides, like glyphosate, on the City's open space areas. In rare cases, we resort to very targeted spraying of glyphosate, like when we need to control perennial pepperweed, an incredibly invasive plant that can significantly degrade habitat, particularly riparian habitat. The plant is aggressive in warm, wet soils but can persist in dryer areas once established. The plant provides little forage for pollinators or small mammals, and also is a vector for fungal diseases of other plants. It is also a direct competitor with Narrow-Leaf Milkweed, the host plant for the Monarch Butterfly. For these reasons, City open space staff prioritize the control of pepperweed. The problem with pepperweed is that it grows on rhizomes, so mechanical control and mowing are not viable options. Instead, staff spot-sprays glyphosate directly onto the individual plants, or drizzles or even wicks the plants with glyphosate to prevent any excess chemical use.   

The City relies much more heavily on mechanical, biological, and cultural practices to control weeds in its open space areas. Mechanical practices include mowing, burning, hand-weeding, and tillage.  Biological practices include using natural living enemies, like insects. Cultural practices include mulching, making sure irrigation is watering only new plants, mowing when it benefits the spread of native grasses, and planting native plants.  Prevention is also an ongoing effort. Prevention techniques include educating visitors and cleaning all equipment (i.e., weed eaters, tractors, etc.) before use in an open space area.

Pest Management Support

City open space staff provides significant support to all City departments regarding the City’s Integrated Pest Management policy. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is an effective and environmentally sensitive approach to pest management that relies on a combination of common-sense practices. IPM programs use current, comprehensive information on the life cycles of pests and their interaction with the environment to prevent unacceptable levels of pest damage. This information, in combination with available pest control methods (i.e., biological, cultural, mechanical, and chemical), is used to manage pest damage economically and with the least possible hazard to people, property, and the environment.

On November 7, 2017, the City Council approved a significant update to the City’s IPM policy. The update was developed with the guidance of public input, through community workshops, and meetings with a Natural Resources Commission subcommittee, as well as the Open Space and Habitat Commission, the Tree Commission, and the Recreation and Parks Commission.

Natural Spread of Native Species

City open space staff encourage the natural spread of native species through monitoring, identification and protection. City open space staff seek to encourage the spread of native grasses by collecting and spreading native grass seeds, seeding open space areas with locally-sourced native grass seeds, and mowing only when it benefits the spread of native grasses.  In several open space areas, such as South Fork Preserve and the Wildhorse Agricultural Buffer, native grasses are starting to out-perform invasive grass species.

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