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Los Gatos Creek

Watershed Collaboration

Forest Health Grant Update

October 2025

Status Update

This month has been full of important planning and operational progress for our Forest Health Grant. 

In September, we officially launched the South Branch of our second Forest Health Grant collaboration, meaning we now have two active branches underway. We’re grateful for the expertise of our Plans and Operations Managers, Mike Mathiesen and Dave Manson, pictured below. Special thanks to Stephen Harrington for capturing the view from the top of the hill.

Forest Health Grant II:

This project area is much steeper and more difficult to work than the Forest Health Grant I project. Crews are often accessing the Forest Health Grant II treatment areas through previously completed Forest Health Grant I areas.

Work continues with the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, and we have also kicked off treatments with San Jose Water. We are working in two key locations: Stewart Ridge and Sears Road. In September we completed about 35 acres of vegetation treatments.

Looking ahead, we are excited about upcoming outreach events:

October 11 – Visit our booth at the Central Coast Good Fire Fair at Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park.

November 5 – Hosting a field tour at the Red Sky Summit.

West Branch Project Update

Work is progressing with resources consolidated to complete the West Branch SJW polygons on Stuart Ridge before heavy rains begin. Operations currently involve 3–4 machines and 2–3 sawyers. This area has little to no recent fire history, with dense, overgrown vegetation being treated along ridges and roads. Treatments primarily consist of felling and mastication of crowded 8" DBH bay trees to improve spacing and reduce overcrowding.

South Branch Project Update

Work has been delayed by early season rains. Soil retention is a priority on these steep, north-facing slopes, which have experienced greater rainfall than West Branch. Because the ground has been slow to dry, efforts have focused on Denali’s handcrews utilizing their Forest Chipper to treat steep and inaccessible areas. Much of the work has now transitioned from the Sears Road area to Wrights Station.

To implement forest health treatments on approximately 1778 acres of strategically identified areas, The Santa Clara County Firesafe Council has partnered with the San Jose Water Company, Santa Clara County Parks, Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District and smaller, private landowners, to form the Los Gatos Creek Watershed Collaboration.

The Los Gatos Creek Watershed Collaborative Forest Health Grant is part of California Climate Investments, a statewide program that puts billions of Cap-and-Trade dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy, and improving public health and the environment — particularly in disadvantaged communities.

Santa Clara County FireSafe Council 

A local 501(c) non-profit organization

Info@SCCFireSafe.org

408-975-9591 

www.sccfiresafe.org

Tax ID Number: EIN 56-2368255