A Remarkable Restoration Success
Several years ago, the Trails Council, supported by the National Park Service (NPS), undertook a challenging restoration project on Saddle Peak. The aim of this project was the removal and restoration of a roughly 10-acre area heavily infested by Spanish Broom.
On our penultimate event at this location [Wednesday, June 19 2019], it was actually difficult to find the offending plants. We returned for a final time - [Wednesday, May 20 2020] to do a follow up event. After 10 years of effort, we can claim success.
The Spanish Broom Problem
Spanish Broom (Spartium junceum) is a very attractive non-native plant which grows from a small shrub to a small tree, 15 to 20 feet tall. The main trunk of the plant can be up to 6 inches in diameter. In spring, the plant blooms with bright, aromatic flowers and produces thousands of seeds, with up to 70% easily germinating.
Once introduced into an area, the Spanish Broom can spread rapidly and squeeze out native plants. The total infested area on Saddle Peak was about 10 acres, and the 3 or 4 acres on top of Saddle Peak had become a dense, impenetrable monoculture.
As in most restoration projects, our success results from persistence and a lot of hard work, both of which we contributed continually for years.
Ten Years of Work
We gave this project over 100 work days spread over 10 years — 300 volunteer work days totaling over 1,500 volunteer hours. Our dedicated trail crew, augmented by Sierra Club Task Force and many community volunteers, labored for many work days, often under grueling conditions, to accomplish this remarkable success.
NPS provided technical support, materials and many labor hours by the SAMO Youth.
The Initial Clearing
This project began in 2009, when our trail crew joined with NPS to clear the connector trail from the Backbone Trail to the beautiful viewpoint on Saddle Peak, which had become almost impassable because of the overgrowth of Spanish Broom.
After clearing the trail, we took aim at the Spanish Broom monoculture covering the peak, blocking the viewpoints and movement around the area. We decided we needed to continue the project.
NPS agreed to support us with training, materials and other technical support. It was up to the Trails Council to recruit volunteers, organize and manage the project.
Removing the Infestation
The initial phase of the project, lasting 2 years, focused on the removal of the existing, massive amount of infestation, so thick a person could not walk through the area. As a result, volunteers spent many hours on hands and knees to get at, cut and treat the offending plants.
They did most of the work with hand tools. We have focused the past several years on dealing with new growth.
The most recent years have also included planting and tending to native oak tree seedlings provided by NPS.
The Site Begins to Recover
Despite several years of drought, the area is now showing signs of recovery. The absence of Spanish Broom has created an opening and many native plants are now flourishing on their own.
The drought reduced the survival rate for the oak tree plantings, but there are about 10 trees surviving. Some are now over 8 feet tall.
Why Spanish Broom Took Hold
Spanish Broom, like many other invasive plants, takes root and flourishes in disturbed soil. During the Cold War era, Saddle Peak was the location of one of several Nike Missile sites in the Los Angeles area. This site, designated as LA-78, was active from 1963 to March 1974.
In 1993, Saddle Peak burned in the Old Topanga Fire. The structure and ground clearance and soil disturbance resulting from the 1974 deactivation and the 1993 fire together set the stage for the Spanish Broom infestation.
During the intervening years, NPS was busy with many other priorities and the infestation received little attention until the Trails Council's project.
The site is now well on its way to returning to a natural state.
— Jerry Mitcham