Sunset at Belinda Point: Photo by Matt Franks

Hello Friends,

Autumn arrives with a return to new and known routines, and the feeling of a fresh start for many of us. For coastal Mendocino County, September and October feel like the summer we missed, as the foggy marine layer dissipates and sunny days finally prevail. Inland, the scorching heat is turned down, and oak woodlands and vineyards flash with bright yellow and deep crimson. 

We are thinking about the elements, namely, fire and water, and how they can impact vulnerable landscapes and shorelines. Read on for projections regarding a severe weather pattern that may head our way, and how we are using beneficial fire to prep planting areas for improved outcomes for native plants, a vital part of our pollinator habitat restoration program.

This weekend we head south to meet new friends in Oakland, at our Bay Area friend-raising reception on October 4th - if you are in or around the Bay, please join us to talk about conservation in Mendocino County, and why it matters beyond our county lines. 

Thanks to everyone who responded to our newsletter survey. Your feedback is always welcome. Write to us directly at info@mendocinolandtrust.org.

Good Fire:

Navarro Point targeted burns for coastal prairie restoration

MLT is using the power of “good fire” to restore coastal prairie ecosystems to support pollinators. Our stewardship team will conduct small brush pile burns at Navarro point later this year. Six brush piles have been set up and now await the right weather window to be safely set ablaze. 

These small, targeted burns are being conducted as part of the multi-year Pollinator Restoration Grant project, and will prepare the ground for winter planting, helping new native plants to flourish. MLT’s Stewardship Project Manager Anna Bride explains, “We want to scorch these planting areas that are now predominantly invasive velvet grass. This is a way to utilize high-intensity fire to treat very thick, invasive biomass. ”

The Navarro Point small-pile burns are not, by definition, cultural or broadcast burns. “We are harnessing high-intensity fire for the nutrient cycling benefits that we have seen on other planting areas along the coastal prairies that have resulted in extremely fast re-establishment rates post-planting. Our coastal prairies are disturbance-dependent landscapes. We’re trying to restore habitats in the present day that are dealing with multiple historic issues, including the suppression of ‘good fire’, or cultural burning.”  Additionally, the introduction of invasive species, which outcompete vital native species, presents an ongoing challenge.

After assembling the burn piles, the team cut in 2-foot fire lines around each unit, removing all vegetation down to bare mineral soil. The next step is simply waiting. Once the Mendocino County fire ban is lifted, we will apply for burn permits from both the County and CalFire. Then, we wait for a good, soaking rain followed by a clear weather window to conduct the actual burn. Planting on the scorched areas can take place two months after the burn, likely in January. The team will plant 2,000 plants including violets, grasses, and nectar plants at Navarro point to support all of our coastal pollinators, including the endangered Behren’s silverspot butterflies that will emerge in early spring.

Neighbors will be notified ahead of the burn, with a one-month notice mailed out alerting them to “burn window” in November. Staff will stay flexible for ideal conditions within that window. Please check our website and socials to stay updated. 

Brush piles at Navarro Point: Photo by Matt Franks

Bad Fire: Fortunately, MLT’s properties were not affected by wildfire this year. However, Mendocino County did not escape fire season: Covelo, Hopland, Laytonville, and Boonville, suffered a total of 1,239 acres burned, per Wildfire Tracker. MLT staff conducted fuel reduction work at Noyo River Redwoods over the summer to help hold off serious damage should wildfire affect the area west of Willits, thankfully it has not. 

Water:

El Niño Winter Weather May Impact Mendocino County.

Climate projections suggest that Northern California may feel the impacts of an El Niño weather pattern from December through February 2027. Daniel Swain, climate scientist from University of California Climate and Natural Resources reports, “We are now predicting with pretty high confidence, the strongest El Niño event on record by a significant margin.” Swain goes on to explain that a typical El Niño weather cycle would impact southern California more than the Mendocino coast, however, this year is far from typical, with the odds of a wetter-than-average winter on the north coast, “north of 80 to maybe even 90%.” (reported in the The Mendocino Voice)

MLT’s Director of Stewardship, Nicolet Houtz, explains, “We know a wet winter can change conditions on the coast and throughout Mendocino County very quickly. Our Stewardship team stays flexible throughout the rainy season, monitoring our trails and properties for erosion, drainage issues, fallen trees, and other storm impacts. At places like Seaside Beach, where coastal erosion is an ongoing concern, that means keeping a close eye on King Tides and large storms that may overtop the parking area and Highway 1. We may also need to shift construction schedules or temporarily close trails when conditions aren’t safe. A big part of stewardship is responding to the landscape as it changes, and we always appreciate hearing from members of the public when they notice something that needs our attention.” 

Seaside Beach at dusk: Photo: MLT archives

Stewardship Updates:

The Great Redwood Trail: The Coastal Conservancy approved a 65% planning grant to continue design and permitting work on the Great Redwood Trail (GRT). MLT will build a 13 mile segment of the GRT that will run from downtown Willits north to Longvale. This phase of the work includes detailed surveys and bridge assessments. MLT is working with the Great Redwood Trail Agency (GRTA) to bring this inland generational trail project to life. The GRTA oversees the project in Mendocino, Humboldt, and Trinity counties. Ultimately, the GRT will be a 307-mile trail from San Francisco to Humboldt Bay, traveling through remote forests, vineyards, and the Eel River Canyon.

Arena Cove Trail: Stairway construction is scheduled for October, weather permitting, for this small but mighty trail in Point Arena that will connect Arena Cove with the Stornetta Public Lands above.

Shady Dell Trail at the Lost Coast: Stewardship Project Coordinator Chase Ahrens, along with summer interns Aly and Liana, replaced a damaged boardwalk on the Peter Douglas Trail, replacing the old foundation and installing new Trex decking.

Shady Dell at the Lost Coast: Photo: MLT Archives

Top: Nicolet and Matt at our First Friday Tent, Main Street, Fort Bragg.

MLT Board Member Joaquin Feliciano with volunteers at Coastal Cleanup, Hare Creek Beach.

Left: Nicolet at Arena Cove Fish Fest

MLT in the Community:



MLT staffers attended the Round Valley Blackberry Festival in August, Fort Bragg’s First Friday in September, followed by the Point Arena Fish Festival, the Mendocino County Fair in Boonville, and Coastal Cleanup Day at Hare Creek Beach.

Watch your mailbox and inbox in November

for MLT’s 2026 Project Updates! 

Common Mergansers: Photo by MLT Board member Paul Miller

Birding Outing at Ten Mile Estuary, September 12, 2026

MLT Land Protection Manager Matt Franks shared his birding expertise on a glorious day in Fort Bragg. Photos by Anne Young.