Los Osos Community Park Tree Planting Project 2019

1. Project Overview

Los Osos Tree & Landscape Committee, a subcommittee of Los Osos Community Advisory Council (LOCAC) proposes to do a planting of approximately 20 trees or less at the Los Osos Community Park this fall. The volunteer group would purchase the trees, pay for planting expenses and monitor the health of the plantings.The group is requesting the Park regularly irrigate the plantings and provide the irrigation system as well as the water itself.

The group is requesting permission to do the project and is providing detail on varieties, location and other facts.The goal of the project is to beautify the park, instill pride in the community to care for the park, cut greenhouse gas emissions, provide shade and wildlife habitat among other benefits.

Besides planting the trees the group agrees to care for the trees over the next 2 years to help them get established by monitoring them, pruning them as needed, all in coordination with Parks workers and overseen by Bob Yetter, Supervising Park Ranger. Our group will be staking the trees, offer feeding, pest management, weeding, compost and mulch (mulch provided by Parks).

Pending timeline of approval, and progress of fundraising, we intend to complete work by the end of 2019. 2. Organizational Details

The Tree and Landscape committee has been a subcommittee of LOCAC for many years. LOCAC itself was founded in 1996 by resolution of the Board of Supervisors. The Los Osos Community Advisory Council (LOCAC) is the voice of the community for all land use issues affecting Los Osos. They are an 11 member volunteer group that advises the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors, the County Planning Commission, and County staff on land use planning, trees & landscaping, traffic and circulation and other important issues that affect Los Osos. LOCAC is also a voice for protecting Estero Bay and the sensitive environment surrounding our community.

The purpose of the Tree and Landscape Committee is to assist in the greening and beauty of Los Osos in order to achieve healthy, appropriate trees and landscaping throughout the community.

The subcommittee is chaired by our contact person, LOCAC board member Yael Korin.

Tree and Landscape committe members also include David Hunter, Paul Hershfield, Tony Salome, Linde Owen, John Lindt, Vita Miller, Cindy Roessler. Margaret Lindt, and Lisa Denker.

Earlier this summer members of the group participated in an Earth Day event where they promoted planting trees in Los Osos. In addition, members raised over $1000 in community donations to prune older Monterey Cypress trees in Baywood Park. 3. Background and analysis of the project’s purpose

Due to funding issues the Los Osos Community Park does not have substantial tree coverage at key locations around the grounds, some of which are identified by our proposal. The group has worked with Ranger Bob Yetter to identify where on the Park grounds it makes sense to plant appropriate trees, identified by variety in the 2005 “Park Plant Pallette.” Los Osos, like other places, does not have enough easily accessible green space that promotes recreation and a sense of well being, and offers protection for wildlife and natural habitat.

Los Osos is not only short on park space. In the past decade the community has lost much of its historic tree canopy from insects, storms, lack of water and development. Most recently the sewer project in the community has removed a water source in the form of leach fields that have been abandoned. Hundreds of trees have died.

The benefits of trees are legendary. Among them are the fact that trees produce oxygen, intercept airborne particulates, and reduce smog, enhancing a community’s respiratory health. The urban canopy directly contributes to meeting our regulatory clean air requirements. Access to trees, green spaces, and parks promotes greater physical activity, and reduces stress, while improving the quality of life in our cities and towns. In addition:

• Trees provide important habitats for numerous bird, insect and animal species.

• Trees sequester carbon (CO2), reducing the overall concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

• Tree windbreaks can reduce residential heating costs 10-15%; while shading and evaporative cooling from trees can cut residential air-conditioning costs 20-50%.

• Trees capture and slow rainfall, their roots filter water and recharge the aquifer.

• Trees reduce storm water runoff, thereby reducing flooding, cutting storm water management costs and decreasing the flow of polluted water into our Bay.

4. Project budget and funding

Our group plans to do community fund raising to pay for the trees and other materials. We expect to raise $5000 to $6000 over the next few months.

ARBUTUS MARINAMELALUCA NESOPHILIA

MELALUCA NESOPHILIA

CISTUS PURPUREUSCALLISTEMONCEANOTHUS

CERCIS OCCIDENTALISARCTOSTAPHYLOSRHAMNUS CALIFORNIA CEANOTHUS

CEANOTHUS

AGONIS FLEXUOSAARBUTUS MARINA

12

3

4

5

6

1. Palisades Avenue west parking strip: (3) Arbutus marina

2. Parking Lot: Triangular wedge planting bed close to south end of Community Center Building: Melaleuca nesophila (1) or, Cistus purpureus (3) or, Callistemon ‘little john’ (5), or Ceanothus ‘yankee point’ (2-3)

3. Flanking Garbage Corral on north side of RedBarn Event Fence: Melaleuca nesophila (2)

4. Palisades/LOVR Corner Planting Area with existing oaks along fence line: Cercis occidentalis ‘western redbud’ natural form (3) or, Arctostaphylos ‘hookeri’ or, ‘morroensis’, or other or, Rhamnus California / coffee berry or, Ceanothus ‘Julia Phelps’ or other

5. LOVR along RedBarn Event fence: Ceanothus ‘ray hartman’ (3) and Agonis flexuosa ‘Burgundy’ (3)

6. LOVR at Redbarn and SkatePark: Arbutus ‘marina’ madrone (2)

Proposed trees and locations for the 2019 Los Osos Community Park Tree Planting Project:

All trees will be 24 inch box in size or as large as locally available. Tree varieties, with possible alternates, and locations for six areas in the park were developed in consultation with Bob Yetter.