I know there are some sensitive habitats in Santa Cruz County. How do I know if I’m in a sensitive habitat, and how do I clear without violating the County’s Sensitive Habitat Ordinance?
• Sandhills Habitat – If you are in Bonny Doon, Ben Lomond, or anywhere in the hills west of Soquel-San Jose Road and the soil looks like beach sand, you could be in sandhills habitat. With a wide variety of protected plants and insects, you should avoid clearing, burying, or trampling the herbs and flowers, avoid soil disturbance, and leave the roots of whatever vegetation you remove in place. You should also avoid clearing around dusk during the summer months (May 15 through August 15) to avoid impacts to the local sensitive insects, and if you are clearing manzanita, leave the first few branches if there is no burl at the ground level of the stem. • Santa Cruz Long-toed Salamander Habitat – If you are within one mile to the ocean side or three miles to the mountain side of Highway 1, between Rio Del Mar and Buena Vista, you are probably in salamander habitat. In this area you should try and keep a low (12-18 inches tall) under story of native vegetation, and separate it from the can
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