Present distribution of native Monterey pine (Pinus radiata) populations is limited to approximately 9,000 - 11,000 acres in three (3) locations on the Pacific Coast of North America. There are only three small remaining California locations. By far the largest is in its namesake - Monterey. The other populations are at Ano Nuevo (north of Santa Cruz), Cambria (north of San Luis Obisbo). In 1908 the tree species inhabited two California islands, Santa Rosa and Santa Cruz, but those are apparently now extirpated. 

Two tiny populations of a 2-needle variant occur on Mexican islands - Cedros and Guadalupe off the coast of Baja California. 

Radiata does not typically occur naturally more than about 7 miles from the Pacific coast or more than about 300 meters (1,000 feet) above sea level. The generally accepted explanation is the inland and altitude reach of summer fog - which can drip more than a half an inch of water per week.. The only places Monterey pine is found growing naturally above 800 feet ASL is where sea breezes ascend a coastal ridge causing fog to form. 

1. Planted Trees

 

 

Monterey pine or Pinus radiata grows worldwide on a minimum of 7 million planted acres of tree farms. This amount grows almost entirely in Chile, New Zealand, Australia, Spain and South Africa. Radiata at present takes up about 3% of the international trade in wood and wood products, and that is likely to double in the middle distant future. It is the leading exotic plantation species in New Zealand, Spain, Chile, and Australia. It is of lesser but still significant importance in S. Africa, Kenya, Argentina and Uruguay. Except for Christmas trees it is almost unknown as a farmed species in the U.S. Radiata is widely planted in temperate climates as an attractive, fast growing tree. 

Radiata grown in tree farms are almost without exception hybrids, in most cases extreme hybrid clones originating from a single tree. In these tree farms all three types of diversity - genetic, species and community diversity is measurable and essentially non-existent. 

The remainder of this article discusses only native radiata forest ecosystem habitat.
 

2. Native Populations

1. Monterey Peninsula (Monterey County 4500 - 6900 acres) 

 

 

Jeffers Forest (~450 acres) is possibly the largest native Monterey pine forest in "good" health with the least contamination by hybrids. The Jacks Peak Park area has large core area stands surrounding it, but is known to have been genetically contaminated by extensive plantings of hybrid radiata on its tallest central ridge in the 1950's and 1960's. 
 

2. Cambria (San Luis Obisbo County ~2300 acres) 

 

 

None of the stands in Cambria are rated any better than "Fair" health by a forester. They are under severe stress with a high incidence of dwarf mistletoe, gall rust and have extensive infestations of bark beetle, and as of 2004 pitch canker. 
 

3. Ano Nuevo (Santa Cruz County ~1500 acres)

 

 

Ano Nuevo has been logged in the past and has some hybrid contamination. Those areas with genetic contamination are the healthy stands. The uncontaminated native stands with the exception of two stands totaling 44 acres, are not rated any better than "Fair" health by a forester. 
 

4. Mexican Islands (Mexico ~450 acres)

Native Monterey pine ecosystems have been greatly lost to development, remain threatened by further cumulative development, overreliance on impermanent protection, invasive disease, genetic diversity loss from hybrid tree planting and active mismanagement by introduction of non-natural fires.
 

1. Historical Development

1. County Parks aren't Permanent. 

 

 

The largest "permanently protected" stand described referred to by the report is Jacks Peak (630 acres) owned by Monterey County Parks. This is the very same agency which proposed in Nov 1994 to sell off a nearby "permanently protected" park near Mount Toro to build a golf course. Public outrage caused this proposal to be withdrawn. 
 

2. California State Parks aren't Permanent 

 

 

The third largest area Huffman described as "permanently protected" is Pt Lobos, sometimes referred to as the "Crown Jewel" in the California State Park system. Nevertheless during the California budget problems of 1991 the State seriously considered selling several state parks. 

Federal Wilderness areas may be the strongest and longest lasting protection by designation of governmental agency, but still isn't necessarily permanent. A land swap of federal wilderness occurred in Carmel Valley - only some 6 miles from native radiata forests. This was intended to allow a for-profit dam to be built on land that is currently designated wilderness. 
 

3. Deed Restrictions Can be Removed - Reversion Clauses Cannot.

1. History 

 

 

The fungus was common in the southeastern United States previous to 1986. It was first detected in California and in pinus Radiata (Monterey pine) in 1986. In 1992 Carmel began a survey of infected trees, finding only one. By November 1993, 132 infected trees were found which began to awaken governmental and public concern. By 1996 the number of infected trees in Carmel had risen to 586. 
 

2. Symptoms

 

 

In certain observational plots, up to 85% of the Monterey Pine trees have become symptomatic. That is not to say the other 15 percent won't get the disease. Trees can have the disease at a cellular level without exhibiting human scale symptoms. 
 

3. Mortality vs. Symptoms  

 

 

In 1986 there was little data on the percent of symptomatic trees that die from the disease. Some symptomatic Monterey Pine trees have survived eight (8) years, others have died within two (2) years. While it may take up to a decade for the tree to die exclusively from the disease, trees weakened by fusarium are then susceptible to quick death from attack by bark beetles. As of 2004 some recent research estimates mortality up to 30%. 
 

4. Susceptibility v. Resistance 

 

 

There is some evidence that new growth has a higher rate of infection than mature tissue. Young trees appear to have a higher number of infections than mature trees. Planted trees seem to have a very high rate of infection. Trees in high humidity (near the ocean) seem to have higher rate of infection than trees in lower humidity (farther from ocean or higher in altitude). 
 

5. Trees in deep core areas of a natural Monterey pine forest - away from human impacts appear significantly less affected than trees standing alone or those more exposed to human impacts by edge effect.

Even though there is zero direct evidence of Monterey pine forest ecosystems requiring fire for ecological health, some, presumably well intentioned, people have advocated and recently even started fires in the few remaining native Monterey pine forest ecosystems. 
Forest fires, of course, can easily get out of control and do widespread ecosystem and property damage. Worse, developers and loggers are known to have claimed "the burned forest is ruined, so let us log or develop there."

1. International

1. ESHA: The California Coastal Commission considers native Monterey pine forest ecosystems "Environmentally Sensitive Habitat Area" which some consider more substantial protection than provided by endangered species laws. In 1984 they considered the loss of only nine acres a "substantial long-term impact."
2. In 1993 the California Department of Fish and Game put Monterey pine on its "Special plants list."
3. Sensitive: In 1999 the Monterey County General Plan Update staff considered Monterey pine a "Sensitive Resource" when they list it first, ahead of the live Oak, in the Slide show presentation - which is on their Web Site. 

1. Rare: The Jepson Manual, a catalog of books considered the definitive encyclopedia for California plants and trees, states that Monterey pine is "rare." 
2. Endangered: In 1994 without knowing of the United Nation's declaration, the legislatively recognized California Native Plant Society strengthened its concern of Monterey Pine by rating it "1B". Their only stronger rating is "1A" which means extinct - gone forever - like the Mammoth. 
3. Endangered: The April 6, 1994 Draft Environmental Impact Report for the Pebble Beach Lot program expressed concern that the project could cause "endangerment to the Monterey pine species itself." 

The only so-called "experts" who have disputed the imperiled status of the Monterey Pine Forest ecosystems are those directly paid by PBC (Hoffman, Zander) or their research projects are directly funded by PBC (Storer and Wood). Huffman's conclusions are easily and entirely refuted and none of Pebble Beach Company consultants are trained Forest Ecologists. 

1. Agency Plans

1. The population dynamics of Monterey pine remain mostly unknown. 

• Bigger areas are better,  
• Untouched habitat is better than human managed habitat,  
• A single large habitat is better than several small ones of same total area,  
• Connected habitat is better than fragmented habitat,  
• Large native animals are better than none.  
• Overprotection is far safer than underprotection.  

• So - all native Monterey pine forest stands of 36 acres or more should be permanently protected, and  
• No more than nine acres should be cumulatively removed.  

• All remaining Native Monterey pine forest ecosystem habitat. 

1. The highest priorities should be the forests with the largest diameter core areas, the largest areas farthest from edge effects - Jeffers Forest in Pebble Beach and the areas surrounding Jack's Peak. 
2. Next in priority are those other areas described in the otherwise discredited Huffman (PBC Consultant) Report as: "Remaining native Radiata habitat in Good Health." 
3. Preserving these areas will allow the best defense to combat both loss of habitat from development and retain maximum genetic diversity for resisting the current threat from Pitch Canker, and future attacks by other diseases. 
4. Additionally, it would be wise to similarly protect those adjacent areas of the next highest heath rating, "Fair." Contiguousness provides a buffer from man-made insults and insurance where we have underestimated either the threats or overestimated our conservation acts. 

1. Downzoning - All Native Monterey Pine Forest must be rezoned as permanent Conservation land.
2. Purchase
3. Reversion Clause in Deed Restriction - This would return ownership to a different person, agency or non-profit entity anytime the current owner either made an application for development or cumulatively damaged any ecosystem values. This is used extensively by the Pebble Beach Company.

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