The potential removal of eucalyptus trees lining the road along Bolinas Lagoon has set off a debate about the plant, which some denigrate as a nonnative toxin while others praise for its longtime presence in the community.
Last week around 50 local residents debated the merits of a tree-management memorandum— drafted by the county parks department—at a meeting of the Bolinas Lagoon Advisory Council, which provides stakeholder input on lagoon issues. A follow-up on talks held in April regarding two eucalyptus trees that have fallen into the lagoon, the memo roughly estimated the costs and legal requirements for removing standing eucalyptus trees near the lagoon.
Many in attendance, including a majority of the council’s members, argued that fallen and precipitously leaning trees pose a threat to the lagoon’s health, though some expressed concerns about the costs and practicality of manual removal. Several eucalyptus supporters, meanwhile, worried that the memo may foreshadow plans to uproot tall, shade-casting eucalyptus trees on Olema-Bolinas Road.
“This is our entryway into town,” said Dale Polissar, a Bolinas resident and musician. “It would be a real blow for the feel of the town if those trees were taken down.”
Drafted by county senior open space planner James Raives, the memo cites a tree company’s estimate that each standing tree removed would cost the county between $6,300 and $8,500 for labor and traffic-control expenses, bringing the removal of the 11 most unstable trees to between $70,000 and $95,000.
In total, about 105 eukes line the road. The county didn’t enlist a specific bid for removing them all, but it extrapolated that such a project would cost between $650,000 and $900,000.
Removing so many trees around the lagoon—which is federally-protected—would also trigger a laundry list of potential permits and legal reviews, such as permits from the California Coastal Commission, the state’s Regional Water Quality Control Board, the United States Army Corps of Engineers and the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary, as well as state and federal environmental reviews.
The memo mentions that future vegetation control could involve herbicides, but several members on the council doubted that herbicides would be an option.
“I’m just informing you that one of the tools we use is herbicides,” Mr. Raives said, adding that herbicide use was “not necessarily a done deal.”
Marin County Park’s acting director and general manager, Ron Miska, directed county staff at the meeting to identify a number of trees to potentially be removed and to nail down firmer cost and permit estimates. Though he offered no timetable, he said that the next couple of months would be “good timing” for a draft proposal since county parks will update its budget in November.
“We will come back to this group with a project, provide you with the info and see what you think about it,” Mr. Miska said.
At the heart of the matter lies what is often referred to as the locally preferred plan for lagoon restoration and habitat management, composed in 2008 by a working group of scientists and stakeholders, many of whom hold seats on the advisory council, which is composed of residential, county, state and federal representatives. The plan recommends removing eucalyptus trees that have fallen or have the potential to fall into the lagoon, identifying them as a possible source of dams and sediment traps that may adversely affect the lagoon’s ecology and close its mouth.
While the 2008 plan recognized the fallen trees as possible habitats for salmon and other fish, some at the meeting argued that eukes and their leaves could be toxic to the lagoon.
“A eucalyptus is a growing herbicide,” said David Ainley, a former program director for the Point Reyes Bird Observatory. “It’s a little ironic to me that you can’t put a pressure-treated post in the lagoon, but you can allow a tree to fall in.”
None at the recent meeting countered Mr. Ainley’s views on scientific grounds. But last April, ecologist Peter Baye—who specializes in wetlands restoration—said that toxins leached from leaves would drain out of the lagoon, posing little danger to fish. He added that trees probably didn’t cause the sediment build-up in the lagoon.
Others wondered why trees could not be removed as they fall into the lagoon. But Mr. Raives said it would cost the county tens of thousands of dollars per tree.
Many in Bolinas disagree with those who scorn the nonnative trees; they appreciate eukes as an integral part of the town’s aesthetic. “Eucalyptus is good for breathing and lungs and it is a pleasure to walk through a forest and breathe the healing fragrance,” said resident Eleanor Lyman, in a letter handed out before the meeting. “Not everyone shares the nonnative viewpoint.”
More than 10 years ago, a group of residents banded together to preserve a stand of eucalyptus trees on sewer pond lands owned by the Bolinas Community Public Utility District, which proposed cutting them down. At the meeting, Mr. Polissar read a report drafted during that preservation effort that highlighted eucalyptus as home to wildlife and absorbers of carbon.
Yet the advisory council repeatedly said the locally preferred plan should guide a decision on removing the trees. “This was composed of very, very high-grade science,” said Rudi Ferris, who represents Bolinas Rod and Boat Club on the council.
“Our job is to advise,” he said. “It’s frustrating for me to be an advisor for so long and for the county to not take our advice.”
But many wonder whether the advisory council still acts as a voice for the community. Concerns arose at the meeting after one member, Ralph Camiccia, hinted that a private donor may already be in the wings to help pay for the costs of tree removal, but declined to reveal the donor’s identity.
“What the people think about the land is what counts,” said Sandra DellaValle, a 40-year Bolinas resident. “Not the county. Not the parks. You should approach us in a different way. This is a community, whether you like it or not.”