With over 900 culverts, 150 trail bridges and 230 miles of streams across our preserves, Midpen crews are constantly making minor improvements and conducting ongoing maintenance. Opportunities to streamline project timelines and permitting processes are pursued where possible to maximize efficiency and ultimately ensure the health of the land.
The San Mateo County Planning Commission recently granted a five-year Coastal Development Permit and Grading Permit for our Open Space Maintenance and Restoration Program. The program, developed in 2021, was created to provide an integrated approach to maintenance of preserves, low-impact facility improvements, habitat enhancement and environmental restoration. The covered program generally include:
- Routine Maintenance Activities: trails; water supply structures; roads; bridges; creeks; other open space features (picnic or rest areas, natural areas, rangeland, staging areas, parking lots, tenant structures, field offices, etc.)
- Restoration and Enhancement Activities: removal of in-stream infrastructure and collapsed structures (i.e., bridges or culverts) or upsizing of culverts; native vegetation plantings and seeding; indigenous stewardship; wildlife friendly troughs; pond and stream restoration; treatment of invasive species; prescribed burns; conservation grazing; road decommissioning; water well decommissioning.
- Small-scale Facility Improvements: bridges; interpretive facilities and signage; ranching infrastructure; utilities; trails; wildlife crossings; existing buildings and structures; water infrastructure
Administering these activities as a program, as opposed to individual activities, allows us to apply a consistent set of methods, best management practices and impact avoidance approaches.
The permits granted by the Planning Commission will help streamline the permitting process at the local level, creating a more consistent and integrative approach and reduce project delays.