Continuing a project begun in August 2023, San Mateo County Parks, in partnership with CalFire, will work to remove hazardous trees at Pillar Point Bluff near the Pillar Ridge Complex on Friday October 13, to reduce wildfire risk and improve community safety.
Work along the Jean Lauer Trail on the eastern boundary of the park will include clearing unhealthy Monterey Pines, other non-native trees, and invasive plants in an 18-acre area. Hand tools and mechanical equipment will be used, including grinders to remove large trees and chippers to reduce smaller trees to material that can be spread to reduce weed growth.
During the project, hikers should expect trail closures near the work area from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Noise and dust will be generated when equipment is used.
San Mateo County Parks Department staff will be on site to coordinate work, ensure that sensitive plant and animal species are protected, and that best management practices are followed. More work is tentatively planned for Friday, November 3.
Overtime, park staff expect the area will convert to coastal scrub, like what is seen throughout the bluff in other locations. Eventually, hikers are likely to see native plants, including coyote brush, coffeeberry, toyon, buckwheat, and wild strawberry, sprout where pines once stood.
This project is one of 32 identified in the Department’s Wildfire Fuel Management Program focused on reducing wildfire risks and improving forest health and community safety.