California State Parks is seeking public comment on its sweeping framework for reducing wildfire risk in Tomales Bay State Park by restoring the health of the ailing bishop pine forest and other habitats. The agency’s project is intended to reduce wildfire risk and restore the resilience of the forest, where trees are dying after a century of fire exclusion, insects, pathogens and repeated drought. Dying trees and flammable materials on the forest floor must be removed for new trees to take root and thrive. To reduce risk and restore the resiliency of the forest, park officials plan to phase in a variety of treatments, including cutting, burning and clearing sections of the 2,400-acre park on both sides of Tomales Bay. Before it moves ahead, the agency must gain certification from the California Coastal Commission for a public works plan. If approved, the plan would facilitate the approval of permits for high-priority components of the resiliency plan, which would be phased in over 10 years, as funding allows. On Tuesday, California State Parks opened the six-week window for public comment on the public works plan. It will hold a hearing on the proposal at 6 p.m. on Jan. 10 in Buck Hall at the Lodge at Marconi in Marshall. Approval of a comprehensive public works plan would prevent the state from having to apply for permits one by one as it moves through the different phases of the restoration project. The agency has been consulting with coastal commission staff as it fine-tuned its draft proposal. It also conferred with the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, the tribe representing the Coast Miwok people, who managed forests on the Point Reyes peninsula for centuries through natural fire or routine ignition, according to the plan outline. Regular burning tamed underbrush and allowed water to flow more freely, maintaining a habitat that supported diverse wildlife. “Our overarching goals are to preserve and steward the bishop pine forests and the other forest habitats, restore grasslands and shrublands, improve resilience and reestablish tribal priorities for forest management,” said Cyndy Shafer, the natural resource program manager for the Bay Area district of California State Parks. An initial hearing on the plans was held one year ago, when the agency unveiled the outlines of the project and opened a previous window for public comment. While some environmental groups argued that the forest will take care of itself without human intervention, most of the feedback the agency received was positive, Ms. Shafer said. While public works plans typically outline construction and infrastructure projects, in this case the plan is simply being used as a planning document for vegetation management. “To be clear, we’re not developing anything, but we’re using this coastal planning framework of a public works plan to facilitate our forest health work,” Ms. Shafer said. Find more information about the plan at https://tinyurl.com/Tomales-plan