As I drove by the preserve this week, I noticed something disturbing,
The path around the endangered Scrub Lupine planting area had been disced. (see Lupine in taped area at right).
Some of the stakes at the boundary marking the plants had been ground up, but that wasn't the main concern.
One plant next to this operation had bloomed this year. The seed pods had opened to disperse seeds onto the surrounding ground, The concern, which not be evident until next winter when a new crop of seedlings emerge, is whether this mechanical onslaught resulted in seeds buried so deep into the earth that they will never germinate.
I had discussed this issue with FWC staff and thought I had some understanding of efforts to keep vehicles out of that section of the preserve.
For whatever reason things didn't work out that way. I put up signs to try to steer vehicles away from this area. The signs were ignored and removed.
Meanwhile, I was supposed to meet with FWC staff this week to discuss management issues. The guy I was supposed to meet with bailed at the last minute and rescheduled for early June.
If that meeting occurs, maybe I can make some inroads.in improving the situation out there.
Coordination to protect the lupine plant5ing areas would be at the top of my list, but there are other issues, such as dealing with the tree along the north fence line and removing a pile of trash that has been sitting by one of the gates for a couple years.
,
