Nearly 2,000 acres of open space lands burned in the recent Loma fire. Immediate priorities for the Open Space Authority include ensuring public safety from landslides and other hazards, barring illegal access (particularly preventing motorized vehicles from damaging exposed slopes), and reducing environmental impacts such as soil erosion and the flow of debris and sediment into the Chesbro and Uvas Reservoirs.
“Early estimates indicate that the Open Space Authority’s restoration and recovery costs may exceed $1 million. Our internal Loma Fire Response Team will manage the short and long term impacts on water supplies, trees, vegetation and wildlife,” said the Authority's General Manager, Andrea Mackenzie. The Open Space Authority will work with the County, CalFire, the Watershed Emergency Response Team, Santa Clara Valley Water District, the Hollister office of the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and other partners on the post-fire restoration effort. The Authority will seek partnerships and funding assistance for its restoration work from local, state and federal agencies.
Watch a recent story done by KPIX on what we are doing to clean up after the fire.
Read The Open Space Authority Loma Fire press release here.
(Photo credit: Derek Neumann)
