Cuyamaca Rancho State Park

News from Friends of Palomar Mountain State Park

carole — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 21:05:50 +0000

Back-story: When we announced our intention to create FPMSP back in August, we specifically excluded combating the closure within the association’s scope. There were good reasons for doing this. However, there are now even more compelling reasons to no longer limit our mission. Now that all other options for keeping Palomar open have been exhausted, it is time for us to rise to the occasion and take up the banner to Save Palomar. Our website tells it all: http://www.friendsofpalomarsp.org

So, in light of the impending closure and the length of time required to set up as cooperating association, we’ve decided to start out as a temporary division of CRSPIA (Cuyamaca Rancho State Park Interpretive Association), the non-profit 501(c)(3) association that has already been supporting Palomar for over two decades. Therefore, on December 3rd, the board of CRSPIA graciously voted to create a committee within CRSPIA called Friends of Palomar Mountain State Park. I happen to be chairman of this committee. This is a temporary arrangement until Friends of Palomar Mountain State Park can be established one day as a separate, independent cooperating association as originally intended. The purpose of this arrangement is to quickly create a focal point for assisting Palomar and raising money to keep Palomar open. Which brings me to my next point.

2. On December 16th, we submitted a proposal to the California Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) that outlines a way to keep Palomar open with the aid of financial contributions from the public.

Our proposal is simple: If DPR keeps Palomar open, Friends of Palomar Mountain State Park will fill the gap between income and expenses through donations from people like you. I’m not in a position at this time to specify the amount of the gap — this will depend on DPR’s response and the agreed-to level of operation. But once we determine what the gap is, this will become our target for fund raising purposes. Approval by DPR isn’t guaranteed, but at least we have a forum.

An October Interpretive Hike

cuyadmin — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 00:03:10 +0000

by Kathleen Beck, Interpretive Specialist

Some people call this a sulfur mushroom. Others call it a chicken shelf mushroom. It grew in the Paso Picacho campground following the recent rains. Some say it is called chicken because it looks like a rooster’s comb. Others say it is called this because it tastes like chicken. It is saprophytic in function to the forest as it generally grows on dead wood, thereby acting as a decomposer. It digests cellulose and turns dead plant matter into soil, making itself useful to its ecosystem.

During October we can explore aspects of the turn of the seasons. Photosynthesis begins to abate with shorter days and cooler temperatures. Chlorophyll breaks down, removing the color green to display the fall yellows and reds. The fall colors lie hidden until the change in season begins. Visit the park to see many changes taking place in the plant kingdom!

Do not bring oak firewood to Palomar Mountain State Park

cuyadmin — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 01:13:27 +0000

Due to the threat of the Goldspotted Oak Borer spreading throughout San Diego County, no oak firewood will be allowed into Palomar Mountain State Park. Wood can be purchased at the park or you can bring other species of firewood, such as pine or eucalyptus.

To find out more about this pest, please go to http://groups.ucanr.org/GSOB/index.cfm

Trail Updates

cuyadmin — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 21:49:38 +0000

Cuyamaca Rancho State Park
Weekly Trails Report
July 26, 2010

Please Note that all trail updates have been moved to the Trails page.

Pigs In The Park

cuyadmin — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 23:34:24 +0000

Feral pigs (Sus scrofa), also known as wild pigs, wild hogs, wild boars, European wild boars, Russian wild boars, or razorbacks, are rangy-looking non-native members of the domestic swine family, Suidae. These transplants native to Europe and Asia are aggressive mammals posing serious ecological, economic, aesthetic, medical and veterinary threats. Feral pigs have recently been sighted in Cuyamaca Rancho State Park and they are not welcome.
Feral pigs have poor eyesight, so you may come upon them on a walk or ride and get fairly close before they react to you. That’s the problem. They scare easily and once scared they react as many mammals do, they either run or fight. This could be a big issue if you are on horse back or even hiking. Please be aware that we have only seen signs of pigs in the park we have not seen the actual animal. But be prepared just in case.
The really fun part of Sus scrofa is that they are very hard to remove, once established. They live from about 15 to 25 years. Feral pigs, similar to people, can mate any time of the year. If a sow is not bred during the two or three days she is in estrus (in heat), she will become sexually receptive again 21 days later. Generally pigs mate during two peak breeding seasons: one in winter (December through February) and another in early summer.
Sexual maturity and reproductive ability of feral pigs greatly depend upon nutrition and habitat. Under optimal conditions, sows can begin breeding at 6 months of age, and produce up to 4 litters per year with each litter consisting of 4 to 12 piglets.
After about a 115 day gestation period, sows give birth to piglets that weigh from one to two pounds at birth. The little ones have pale stripes running the length of their body until they are six weeks old. After one week of suckling, the piglets are able to follow their mother around. The young grow rapidly and are weaned in about three months. The offspring disperse after a year with their mother and are usually sexually mature by a year and a half. The young reach adult stature within three years and are fully-grown in five to six years.
Why are we not pleased about having them in the park? Feral pigs have the unfortunate habit of trampling down and rooting up large areas of vegetation. The area they feed in looks like the place as been roto-tilled. They dig up acorns, bulbs, mushrooms, insects, etc. They also scratch and dig in wet ground to form wallows. Feral pigs make these wallows to escape heat and insects. They use these wallows mostly in the hot, insect-infested summer months. In short, they completely change the topography of the land.
We are working with the Cleveland National Forest and Fish and Game to come up with our game plan on removing pigs from the park. We are also working with other state parks to find out what they have done, as pigs have been in Northern parks for some years now. We will keep you all updated on this new problem in the park. In the mean time, please be cautious out there.

What is Killing the Oaks?

cuyadmin — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 19:33:11 +0000

The Goldspotted Oak Borer, Agrilus coxalis Waterhouse

The goldspotted oak borer (GSOB) was first detected in 2004 in San Diego Co., California by the California Department of Food and Agriculture during a survey for exotic woodborers. In 2008, it was found attacking coast live oak, Quercus agrifolia, canyon live oak, Q. chrysolepis, and California black oak, Q. kelloggii, on the Cleveland National Forest and Cuyamaca Rancho State Park. GSOB is playing a major role in on-going oak mortality. GSOB larvae feed under the bark primarily at the interface of the sapwood and phloem on the main stem and larger branches. Larvae kill patches and strips of phloem and cambium, resulting in limb and branch die back and, eventually, tree death. Because of host distribution, GSOB has the potential to spread further north in California and cause similar tree mortality.

Because of this, all Oak firewood has been quarantined in both the Cleveland National Forest and Cuyamaca Rancho State Park. Efforts are under way to keep oak firewood from leaving San Diego County

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