Claremont Canyon forest is dying

UC continues to move forward with their Claremont Canyon project, gradually moving uphill from the UC/EBRPD boundary. While UC is trimming and removing some of the non-eucalyptus trees, so far it appears that 100% of the eucs are being removed.

One really has to wonder if the steep slopes on the north side of the canyon are going to stay put once the trees are gone and the rains start. But, it seems that this just isn't UC's concern as road users and the City of Oakland will be left with the problem long after UC is gone.

Additionally, there are very large piles of chips at the signpost 29 staging area that are smoking in the early morning sun. One has to wonder if UC has a plan to dispose of these or is going to do what they did at their Grizzly Peak chip dump....allow them to spontaneously combust and ask EBRPD to put out the fire.

Finally, because there is simply no room to store the tree carcasses, UC has begun piling them up at the site adjacent to the Marg property on Grizzly Peak just north of Marlborough Terrace. One wonders how many dead trees they plan to store there and for how long.

On a somewhat happier note, a beautiful hawk was spotted high up in a eucalyptus just uphill from the current work area. Sadly, this hawk's habitat will soon be reduced to chips and logs.