History of the Reserve
Mount Sutro Open Space Reserve is a peaceful 61-acre area in the midst of San Francisco homes, businesses and the University of California San Francisco campus (UCSF). Named for its former owner and San Francisco Mayor Adolph Sutro, the Reserve has a history of transition much like many San Francisco neighborhoods.
A successful engineer and real estate investor, Adolph Sutro served as San Francisco Mayor from 1894 to 1896. Sutro’s many land holdings included Mount Parnassus, now named Mount Sutro in his honor. Like most of San Francisco’s higher terrain in the 1800s, the hill was covered primarily with native grasses, wildflowers and shrubs. In celebration of San Francisco’s first Arbor Day in 1886, Sutro began planting the hill with imported blue gum eucalyptus, Monterey pine, Monterey cypress and possibly other species. The eucalyptus quickly adapted to the new location and soon became the predominant tree species on the hill.
Sutro donated 13 acres of land on Parnassus Avenue to the UCSF Regents in 1895 for development into the UCSF Parnassus Heights campus. It wasn’t until 1953 that UCSF purchased a 90-acre parcel to the south, which included Mount Sutro. Most of this land is now the Mount Sutro Open Space Reserve.
UCSF is committed to maintaining the Reserve as a resource for San Franciscans and takes seriously its responsibility to keep the site safe and accessible.
Visiting Mount Sutro
UCSF welcomes the use of the Mount Sutro Open Space Reserve. The hiking trails are maintained by the volunteers of the Mount Sutro Stewards, in partnership with UCSF. The Mount Sutro Stewards have developed a trail map [PDF] and have outlined suggested hikes.
The Mount Sutro Stewards were founded by Craig Dawson, who grew up on Christopher Drive and has been a member of the UCSF Community Advisory Group since 1992. The Stewards regularly turn out volunteers to work on Mount Sutro. Everyone who walks the trails of Mount Sutro owes their nature-walk-in-the-city to the Stewards volunteers, who have logged thousands of hours clearing the trails. In addition, Stewards’ volunteers helped to develop Rotary Meadow, the native plant demonstration area identified in the 2001 Sutro Plan and funded by the Rotary Club.
The Stewards work closely with the UCSF Facilities Management department, gaining the University’s approval for the work they propose to do and following up after all volunteer work days. UCSF provides hand tools for use by the Stewards, and supplies pizza and water for the volunteer workers. UCSF very much appreciates the hard work of the Stewards and all the volunteers who donate their time to help the Reserve.
The Mount Sutro Stewards meet regularly to maintain the trails on the Reserve and were recently recognized by San Francisco Magazine as a group that makes the Bay Area one of the best places to live, work and play. The San Francisco Neighborhoods Parks Council recognized Stewards founder Craig Dawson, who grew up near Mount Sutro, as volunteer of the month for July 2009. For information on volunteering and on these awards, please visit:
Managing Mount Sutro
During the 1990’s, while working with the campus on the UCSF Long Range Development Plan (LRDP), the UCSF Community Advisory Group advised that the LRDP include recommendations for a maintenance and restoration program for the Mount Sutro Open Space Reserve’s vegetation and hiking trails. This became the impetus for the 2001 Mount Sutro Open Space Reserve Management Plan. The plan was developed over three years with substantial involvement from members of the community. The plan strikes a balance between neighborhood interests and UCSF concerns, and it is organized around seven planning principles, or goals:
UCSF has worked for the past eight years to implement the Management Plan, focusing on top priorities in the plan related primarily to hazardous tree removal. The priorities that have been accomplished are: hazardous tree removal in Crestmont-Christopher, Edgewood, Upper Medical Center Way, Chancellor’s Residence and East Aldea; screen planting at Aldea, a UCSF housing community; and coast scrub demonstration planting and needle grass enhancement on the Mount Sutro Summit. Work has been done outside the scope of the Management Plan as the need has arisen, and this work includes: understory clearing to recover a newly discovered historic trail and other trail improvements and maintenance by the Mt. Sutro Stewards; rehabilitation of a mudslide area caused by a water line break; and additional hazardous tree removal as needed. In addition, the San Francisco Public Utility Commission removed brush and trees to build a new water pump house and install a new line up the hill to an existing water tank.
Other projects have also been completed as needs have arisen, but no tree thinning projects or other types of demonstration areas have occurred in the Reserve, with the exception of the native plant demonstration project on the summit, which was funded by a generous grant from the Rotary Club of San Francisco and planted by Rotarians and community members.
In the years since the Management Plan was completed, two independent professional foresters have evaluated the Reserve for UCSF and determined that the forest has declined in vigor as exhibited by the increase in dead trees and dying trees with thin crowns and small tree trunks due to lack of optimal growth conditions. In addition, the San Francisco Department of Emergency Management issued a Hazard Mitigation Plan in 2008 to “assess risks posed by natural and human-caused hazards and to develop a mitigation strategy for reducing the City’s risk”. This Hazard Mitigation Plan includes a Wildfire Hazard Area map that identified the area of the Mount Sutro Open Space Reserve as having a high to very high wildfire hazard based on its fuel ranking. UCSF is responsible for managing its property and mitigating hazards, including wildfire risk.
UCSF has applied for funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to work in two demonstration areas to reduce the risk of a devastating high intensity, fast-moving wildfire and to improve the health and safety of the remaining trees. Although approval for these funds has already been sought, UCSF is committed to a community process that fully communicates with neighbors on what work will be done in these two demonstration areas to achieve the goal of reducing the likelihood of a wildfire in the Reserve. UCSF is also committed to ensuring that the Reserve thrives as a healthy urban forest that can be enjoyed by all San Franciscans.
Maintaining Mount Sutro
As with all of its facilities and properties, UCSF conducts ongoing, regular maintenance of Mount Sutro. The regular maintenance of Mount Sutro is independent of the longer-term management plan or potential fire mitigation demonstration projects.
Mount Sutro maintenance is conducted by UCSF Facilities Management. The Facilities Management staff is committed to the highest level of service to both its campus customers and to the community.
Regular ongoing general maintenance on Mount Sutro includes: removal of storm debris, downed trees or branches and hazardous trees; removal of broom; trash or campsite removal; managing overgrown vegetation, including along Medical Center Way, parking areas, walkways, stairs and buildings; drain clearing; weekly blowing along Medical Center Way, parking areas, walkways, stairs and buildings; spot-application of herbicide, only as necessary (supervised by licensed applicators according to State and County safety standards and with notification flyers posted in advance).
In addition to the first three tasks listed above, regular maintenance work on the Mount Sutro summit also includes removal of invasive sprouts, at least bi-annually.
Regular maintenance of the trails includes: maintenance to better allow usage and ensure continued accessibility, including keeping a clearance of up to 5 feet on both sides; removal of trash and debris; management of overgrown vegetation; removal of storm debris, downed trees or branches and hazardous trees; removal of broom; security patrol; trash or campsite removal; spot-application of herbicide only as necessary (supervised by licensed applicators according to State and County safety standards and with notification flyers posted in advance).
Additional Information
For additional information, please contact Barbara Bagot-Lopez via mail at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or via telephone at 415-476-3206.