State of California The Resources Agency DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GAME FINAL LAND MANAGEMENT PLAN BURTON MESA ECOLOGICAL RESERVE August 31, 2007 Prepared By Elihu Gevirtz, Mary Carroll, Katrina Burton, Paul Collins, Mark Holmgren, Larry Spanne and Anthony Nelson 3944 State Street, Suite 310, Santa Barbara, CA 93105 Tel: (805) 898-2000 • [email protected] California Department of Fish and Game Burton Mesa Ecological Reserve August 2007 Administrative Final Land Management Plan TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION 1 A. Purpose of This Land Management Plan ........................................................................... 1 1. Purpose of the Acquisition .......................................................................................1 2. Acquisition History ...................................................................................................2 a) Exceptions.......................................................................................................................... 4 B. Funding of this Land Management Plan ............................................................................ 4 C. Geographic Information System (GIS)................................................................................ 5 II. PROPERTY DESCRIPTION 7 A. Location ................................................................................................................................... 7 B. Geographical Setting ............................................................................................................. 7 C. Property Boundaries and Adjacent Lands ......................................................................... 8 D. Management Units................................................................................................................. 8 1. Property Boundaries................................................................................................11 2. Adjacent Lands.........................................................................................................11 3. Easements, Covenants and Restrictions ...............................................................12 a) Easements on State’s Land Retained by Unocal: Roads, Power Lines, Utility Lines, Pipelines. 12 b) Consultation Regarding Change of Use in Specific Areas............................................... 14 4. 47-Acre Transfer from Santa Barbara County to State of California ................14 5. Unocal’s 200-Acre Open Space Easement ............................................................15 6. State Water Line Lease ............................................................................................15 7. County Sheriff Equestrian Training Facility ........................................................15 E. Geology, Soils, Hydrology, Climate.................................................................................. 19 1. Geologic Setting .......................................................................................................19 a) General Introduction ....................................................................................................... 19 2. Soils ............................................................................................................................27 a) General Introductions...................................................................................................... 27 b) Principal Soils and Distribution...................................................................................... 27 3. Hydrologic and Hydrogeologic Setting................................................................32 a) General Introduction ....................................................................................................... 32 b) Surface Water .................................................................................................................. 32 c) Groundwater.................................................................................................................... 38 4. Climate ......................................................................................................................39 F. Cultural Features.................................................................................................................. 41 1. Prehistory and Early History .................................................................................42 2. Previous Investigations...........................................................................................42 3. Results of Cultural Resources Investigation ........................................................43 4. Categories of Sensitivity of Cultural Resources ..................................................51 a) Class I: High Sensitivity Sites......................................................................................... 51 b) Class II: Medium Sensitivity Sites .................................................................................. 52 c) Class III: Low Sensitivity Sites........................................................................................ 52 d) Other Areas: Potential for Buried Sites ........................................................................... 52 5. Data Gaps in Cultural Resources...........................................................................52 Condor Environmental Page i Planning Services, Inc. California Department of Fish and Game Burton Mesa Ecological Reserve August 2007 Administrative Final Land Management Plan G. Historic Land Use ................................................................................................................ 53 1. Agricultural Operations..........................................................................................54 2. Military Operations .................................................................................................57 3. Oil Exploration .........................................................................................................57 4. Fire History and Behavior.......................................................................................57 a) Pre-European Fire History .............................................................................................. 58 b) Recent Fire History and Behavior.................................................................................... 59 5. Urban Development ................................................................................................63 6. Existing Structures and Other Development .......................................................63 H. Existing Public Use Features .............................................................................................. 69 1. Public Facilities and Uses........................................................................................69 a) Trails Plan ....................................................................................................................... 70 I. Existing Commercial Lease Features................................................................................. 75 1. Lease Information ....................................................................................................75 2. Current Cultivated Agriculture .............................................................................75 3. Current Cattle Grazing............................................................................................76 4. Beekeeping................................................................................................................76 5. Sheriff Equestrian Training Facility ......................................................................76 6. CCWA Chaparral Restoration Site ........................................................................77 III. HABITAT AND SPECIES DESCRIPTION 79 A. Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 79 1. Biological Setting......................................................................................................79 B. Vegetation Communities, Habitats and Plant Species ................................................... 82 1. Methods.....................................................................................................................82 a) Database Review.............................................................................................................. 82 b) Interviews and Consultations.......................................................................................... 83 c) Vegetation Surveys.......................................................................................................... 83 d) Distribution of Non-Native Species................................................................................. 90 e) Rare Plants ...................................................................................................................... 91 C. Upland Communities.......................................................................................................... 95 1. Maritime Chaparral .................................................................................................95 a) Variations in Community Composition .......................................................................... 95 2. Coast Live Oak Woodland and Forest................................................................111 a) Variation in Community Composition.........................................................................