PO Box 4895 │ LAGUNA BEACH CA 92652 │ TEL 949.497.8324 │ LAGUNACANYON.ORG Tax ID #33-0441816 501(c)(3) Non-profit status determined by IRS letter of 6/14/91 September 19, 2025
City of Laguna Beach City Council Members
505 Forest Ave
Laguna Beach, CA 92651
Subject: Item 24 of Agenda for September 23, 2005-- Clarification of Fuel Modification Program and Emergent Invasive Plant Species Program
Dear Members of the City Council,
On behalf of the Laguna Canyon Foundation, I am writing to express our strong support for the City staff’s recommendation to allow the judicious use of herbicide for a very specific and limited group of invasive plants. We understand that there have been questions from the public regarding the recent action and the use of herbicides in hand crew fuel modification zones, and we appreciate the City's commitment to returning to the Council to clarify its decision. Our goal with this letter is to explain why allowing this targeted approach is crucial for protecting our native habitat.
The specific plants in question are not your typical weeds. They are included on the Orange County California Native Plant Society's (OCCNPS) Emergent Invasive Plant List. These species pose an immediate threat due to their ability to spread rapidly and overwhelm our native ecosystems. At present, these populations remain small and localized. This presents a rare and time-sensitive opportunity to eradicate them completely before they become widespread and far more difficult, costly and ecologically damaging to manage.
Once an emergent invasive plant is detected, the window of time for successful control is very small, and even smaller for total eradication. By removing the tool of targeted herbicide, we risk losing the chance to eliminate these populations while they are still manageable.
An excellent example is an emergent invasive species called Stinking Roger (Osteospermum calendulaceum), a California Department of Food and Agriculture ARated Pest and Emergent Invasive Plant List listed species. In all of North America, this species is known to exist only in Laguna Beach, in a small two-acre area. While this Item 24— September 23, 2025 City of Laguna Beach City Council particular population is not within a hand crew fuel modification zone, it is a perfect illustration of why we need every tool available to stop these plants before they spread. If we fail to act decisively, a small problem could become a much larger, more expensive, and ecologically damaging issue.
Laguna Canyon Foundation has seen firsthand the benefits of using targeted herbicide to protect our sensitive habitats. We believe that when used carefully and with a clear scientific goal, it is a safe, effective and necessary management practice to combat emergent invasive plant species. We therefore urge the Council to affirm staff’s recommendation to allow this highly restrictive use of herbicide to protect our open space from the specific threat of these emergent invasive species.
We remain committed to working with the community to address concerns about land management practices, and we welcome continued dialogue. Thank you for your leadership and for your dedication to preserving Laguna Beach's unique natural environment.
Sincerely,
Scott Thomas
Executive Director
Laguna Canyon Foundation