Logo designed and created 2019 by Bob Sage, City of Brisbane

Strategic Plan:

Strategic Plan for the Control of Noxious and Invasive Weeds, San Mateo County WMA

Outreach Summary:

Publications

• Noxious Weeds in San Mateo County – A Serious Threat to Our Environment brochure
• Managing Yellow Starthistle brochure
• Field guide: Selected Invasive Plants of San Mateo County: an Identification and Mapping Guide (out of print)

Events

• Booth at San Mateo County Fair (annual)
• Volunteer weed management training with Cal-IPC (annual since 2017)
• Weed mapping workshops
• Earth Day Event at College of San Mateo (annual)

Project Highlights:

2025-2027 CDFA WMA Grant Program Projects

• Wooly distaff thistle (Carthamus lanatus) control in La Honda Creek Open Space Preserve: Willow Creek Land and Cattle
• Jubata grass (Cortaderia jubata), Yellow star thistle (Centaurea solstitialis), French broom (Genista monspessulana), and Italian thistle (Carduus pycnocephalus) control in City of Redwood City and County of San Mateo Parks: Grassroots Ecology

2023-2027 CDFA Noxious Weed Grant Program Projects

• Algerian sea lavender (Limonium ramosissimum) and European sea lavender (L. durisculum) control in San Francisco Bay tidal marshes: California Invasive Plant Council
• Pokeweed (Phytolacca heterotepala and Phytolacca icosandra) management on the coast and in agricultural sensitive areas: County of San Mateo Department of Agriculture

2021-2023 CDFA Noxious Weed Grant Program Projects

• Algerian sea lavender (Limonium ramosissimum) and European sea lavender (L. durisculum) control in San Francisco Bay tidal marshes: California Invasive Plant Council
• Jubata grass (Cortadaria jubata) control at Rancho Corral de Tierra: Golden Gate National Recreation Area

2020 CDFA Noxious Weed Grant Program Projects

• Survey and map CCR Section 4500 Noxious weeds and CDFA ‘A’ and ‘B’ rated noxious weeds in San Mateo County: County of San Mateo Department of Agriculture
• Eradicate a coastal infestation of limited distribution of Heart-podded Hoary Cress (Lepidium draba)

2019 CDFA Noxious Weed Grant Program Projects

• Green Grass Project at Edgewood County Park and Natural Preserve: County of San Mateo Parks Department and Friends of Edgewood Natural Preserve
• Jubata grass (Cortadaria jubata) control on Montara State Beach and Montara Mountain: California Department of Parks and Recreation
• Bermuda buttercup (Oxalis pes-caprae) treatment trials: County of San Mateo Parks Department

Ongoing Projects:

Canary Island St. John’s Wort

• Develop plan and associated environmental review in preparation for eradication of St. John’s Wort (Hypericum canariense) in the Gazos Creek Watershed. Project partners: San Mateo Resource Conservation District, Peninsula Open Space Trust, County of San Mateo Department of Agriculture

Fertile Capeweed

• Control of a limited infestation of Fertile Capeweed (Arctotheca calendula) in Bean Hollow near Pescadero. Project Partners: County of San Mateo Department of Agriculture

Native Grassland Restoration

• Fire fuel reduction and native grassland restoration using native soil-seed banks on private lands throughout the San Francisco Peninsula. Project Partners: Craig Dremann

Pampas and Jubata grass

• Control of Pampas and Jubata grass populations at several coastal locations. Project Partners: County of San Mateo Department of Agriculture, County of San Mateo Public Works Department, County of San Mateo Parks Department, California Department of Parks and Recreation, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, San Gregorio Environmental Resource Center

Purple Loosestrife

•  Eradication of limited infestation of Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) in La Honda. Project Partners: County of San Mateo Department of Agriculture

Skeletonweed

• Continual treatment of Skeletonweed (Chondrilla juncea) in and around Edgewood Park and I-280. Project Partners: County of San Mateo Department of Agriculture, Friends of Edgewood Natural Preserve, California Department of Transportation, San Francisco Public Utilities Commission

Slender false brome

• Slender false brome (Brachypodium slyvaticum) in Thornewood Open Space Preserve in Woodside continues to be mapped and eradicated. Project Partners: Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, County of San Mateo Parks Department, San Mateo Resource Conservation District

Stinkwort 

• Control stinkwort (Dittrichia graveolens) in the San Gregorio Watershed in order to protect habitat for endangered species of the Santa Cruz Mountains bioregion. Project Partners: San Gregorio Environmental Resource Center

Weed Management at Edgewood County Park and Natural Preserve

• Twenty acres of land are being protected at Edgewood County Park in Redwood City. Strategic goals are to protect native grasslands in order to reintroduce Bay Checkerspot butterfly (Euphydryas editha spp. Bayensis). Project Partners: Friends of Edgewood Natural Preserve, County of San Mateo Parks Department, County of San Mateo Department of Agriculture

Past Projects

• Removal of pampas and jubata grass by the Pescadero Conservation Alliance
• Yellow starthistle/wooly distaff thistle incentive program for local ranchers
• Eucalyptus removal from native serpentine grasslands by County of San Mateo Parks
• Gorse and broom removal along Highway 84 by California Department of Transportation and County of San Mateo Parks

Organizations on WMA’s MOU

• California Department of Parks and Recreation
• California Department of Transportation
• California Native Plant Society
• City of Brisbane
• City of South San Francisco
• Coastside Land Trust
• County of San Mateo Department of Agriculture
• County of San Mateo Parks Department
• County of San Mateo Public Works Department
• Creekside Center for Earth Observation (Creekside Science)
• Friends of Edgewood Natural Preserve
• Golden Gate National Recreation Area
• Grassroots Ecology
• Green Foothills
• Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District
• Pacifica Land Trust
• Pacific Beach Coalition
• Peninsula Open Space Trust
• Rancho San Gregorio
• San Bruno Mountain Watch
• San Gregorio Environmental Resource Center
• San Francisco Public Utilities Commission
• San Mateo County Farm Bureau
• San Mateo Resource Conservation District
• University of California Cooperative Extension
• Willow Creek Land and Cattle