Stewardship

Westport Trails

Public trails along the coast are very important for both residents and visitors. They allow people to enjoy the wonderful beauty that makes our area outstanding in the world, as well as providing access to the ocean for recreation and fishing. CoLT recently received a grant from the Mendocino Council of Governments and CalTrans to study the feasibility of developing trails along the Highway 1 corridor from Ten Mile River to Usal Road/Highway 1 junction. Residents, landowners, and recreationists are being included in the planning process through a charrette process. Read more …

Knotweed Removal

Knotweed, a very invasive shrub, has recently been removed from a large site along the Seaside Meadow. Two years of light deprivation (tarping) has reduced the vigor of the patch to manageable proportions. Our crew of dedicated weed warriors dug out rhizomes that could have spread again if allowed to flourish. Read more…



Natural Resources Interpretation

Owning a beach gives CoLT a rare opportunity to do education right on site. With the help of local geologist Skip Wollenburg, our artist Erica Fielder created two wonderful panels highlighting story of beach formation and of the creatures that live under the sand. The panels were placed at the parking lot for visitors to read and contemplate the unique values of sandy beaches. Sponsors for the panels include the Community Foundation of Mendocino County and the State Coastal Conservancy. See the Research page for a view of the panels, and Partnerships page for more information on the sponsors.

Vegetation Restoration

Seaside Beach contains one rare plant, the Maple-leafed Checkerbloom, Sidalcea malachroides, which grows on the moist hillsides. Three patches are identified, and have been protected from disturbance. These will be used to start more checkerbloom along the south bluff when opportunities open up.



Efforts are also underway to retain our small population of the native beachgrass, Leymus mollis, which is under pressure from the invasive European beachgrass. While complete removal of the European variety is still beyond our budget, the Seaside Stewards have been pulling out the invasives around patches of native beachgrass to encourage the native variety to expand and hold more territory.

The Stewards also have helped to eliminate or reduce thistle, Himalayan blackberry, tansy, periwinkle and capeweed.  The Stewards meet on the second Tuesday of the month to do restoration projects on Seaside Beach and Meadow. Please email Carrie Durkee if you would like to get involved. Our vegetation specialist Carrie Durkee has been collecting seeds from the native plants on-site and will be using plants from those seeds to rejuvenate the foliage. Lupine and yarrow plants have already been established by this method.

Big River Conservation Easement

When the Big River Unit was added to the Mendocino Headlands State Park, the parties to the transfer wanted a buffer between the park unit and the commercial timberlands to the east. The Big River Conservation Easement defines a 200-yard-wide strip of land between the two ownerships to protect the resources of the new park. No logging or road building is allowed. CoLT’s contract ecologist, Bill Lemos, monitors the easement in the spring and fall to ensure the protection of the resource.

Public Access

Public access trails are vital to continued enjoyment of the ocean shoreline. The California Coastal Act outlines how access shall be provided for the public through parks and through trail easements on private land. CoLT strongly supports the California Coastal Trail and the many trail easements that provide access to the sea. Our sister organization, the Mendocino Land Trust, is taking the lead in managing public trails on this coast, while Coastwalk is the leading organization supporting the CA Coastal Trail. In a supporting role, CoLT has agreed to “hold” several easements that are not yet ripe for opening. We will simply hold the easements until such time that it becomes practical to develop it into a trail, eliminating the possibility of losing the trail forever. Most of these are landlocked in some way, but may link to a trail in the future.

Volunteering

Seaside Stewards is our primary volunteer group, meeting on the second Tuesday at Seaside Beach to do restoration projects. They have tacked invasive plants, erosion control, and beach cleanup, while having fun and meeting the neighbors. The Stewards also keep an eye on the beach and report any problems, from missing signs to marine mammals in trouble.

Protecting Land

A very important way to volunteer is to designate all or part of a parcel of land as a conservation property. This can be done through donating the land, or by placing a conservation easement on it. Easements can be written to the specifications of the landowner to protect certain values while allowing certain other uses, for instance to allow a household while disallowing any logging or road building. Read more…





Easements We Hold

CoLT holds several conservation easements as well as trail easements. These are not open to the public, but are protected for resource or cultural values.

  • Beal Creek marsh
  • Bourn Cemetery
  • Big River Conservation Easement
  • 44 potential trail easements

Archaeology

Information coming sooner or later