Stillwater Sciences, under contract to Save-the-Redwoods League (SRL) and the California Coastal Conservancy, developed an Interim Management Plan (Plan) that includes recommendations to guide protection, restoration, and public use of the newly-acquired Mill Creek property until California State Parks adopts a General Management Plan for the area.

The Plan synthesizes existing resource information and provides recommendations that can be used by DPR to develop appropriate management actions and complete the formal analysis of alternatives necessary to comply with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and related legislation.

Management goals for the Mill Creek property are to:

• protect and enhance existing old-growth and late-successional forests;
• restore complexity, diversity, and late-successional forest characteristics to young second-growth conifer plantations;
• reduce potential impacts of the existing road network and other infrastructure on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems;
• provide public recreational and educational opportunities;
• manage site facilities and infrastructure (including roads, trails, buildings, and other park improvements) in a manner compatible with ecosystem protection and restoration; and
• establish a scientific research framework to guide adaptive management.

The Plan describes specific management objectives that support the above goals, analyses to evaluate potential risks and opportunities, and recommended actions for attaining objectives during the interim management period. Objectives, environmental analyses, and recommendations were developed to prioritize future management actions, support funding initiatives, and provide information necessary for ensuring CEQA compliance for future site-specific projects.

To view the Mill Creek Interim Management Recommendations, click here.