[APWG] A square mile in San Mateo County, back to 99% weed-free cover

[Craig Dremann - Redwood City Seed Company]

Dear All,

Here in central California, the next county south of San Francisco is San
Mateo County, which has at least nine public agencies, all with native
grassland and wildflower fields that they manage.

The State of California, Dept. of Fish & Game, considers native grasslands
and wildflower fields in California to be our second rarest ecosystem,
after vernal pools--in terms of percentage of what is left from the
original pre-European cover--maybe 1/10th of 1% in lower elevation
California, below 1,000 meters.

Consequently, a high percentage of our rare, sensitive and Listed
Endangered Species occur in grassland habitats.

Government agencies have made promises that are 30 years old now, via
Federally approved HCPs, to restore grassland habitats in our county in
exchange for permits to kill Endangered species, for commercial
developments.

And an open space district,  has been trying to manage their grasslands
and wildflower fields with burning without any success after five
attempts, like you can see at http://www.ecoseeds.com/invent.html

What I am proposing, is to try the Shaw method of mowing and removal of
exotic grass and weed thatch on nine different 74 acre grassland sites in
our county on public lands, back to 99% weed-free native plant cover, by
December 31, 2016.

Shaw in Santa Cruz County was able to do his 74 acres within about 5
years, managing the 99% weed cover down to only 1% today.

San Mateo County is only the next county north of Santa Cruz, and has
similar species of weeds in their grasslands that Shaw was able to
control, like you can read at http://www.ecoseeds.com/shawlist.html.

By getting nine-74 acre sites back to 99% native plant cover, then we will
have just over a square mile done by 2016.

Sincerely,  Craig Dremann (650) 325-7333