POST plans to restore native plants to Pillar Point Bluff

The Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) is undertaking a revegetation project to restore native plants and wildlife habitat on POST’s 119-acre Pillar Point Bluff property, near Moss Beach.  Approximately 15 acres of the southern portion of the popular property, has become increasingly crowded with highly aggressive, invasive exotic pampas grass plants.  POST’s restoration work will remove the pampas grass and enhance the growing conditions for native plants to flourish.

Click "read more" to see the press release, which describes the involvement of Go Native Nursery of Montara in the project.

“As a landowner, we believe that controlling invasive exotics, especially pampas grass, which is spreading at such a high rate in San Mateo County, is an important element of our stewardship strategy,” said Paul Ringgold, POST’s director of stewardship. “National statistics indicate that invasive exotic species cost U.S. taxpayers approximately $100 billion annually in economic and ecological damage. Pillar Point Bluff is a special place to so many people. We want to be sure that we are protecting the land’s habitat and ecological values as well as the scenic and recreational values.”

POST has extensive experience with native plant revegetation projects, specifically projects involving pampas grass removal. For the past six years, POST has been developing and implementing a variety of land management tools on its Cloverdale Coastal Ranches, including pampas grass removal methods. In total, POST has removed more than a million pampas grass plants on its properties.

Pampas grass, which was imported to California as an ornamental plant, is highly aggressive and crowds out native plant species by restricting light, moisture and nutrients.  The loss of native plants translates into a loss of habitat for animals that depend on them. 

POST has contracted with Go Native Nursery, located in Montara, to complete the project.  Go Native Nursery contractors will remove the pampas grass plants and leave them with their roots in the air to decay naturally while the ground is reseeded with native seeds.  The removal process will take three weeks.   The ground will appear disturbed, but by winter new plant growth should be visible.