San Diego County Otay Mountain

Michael Klein keps2 at flite-tours.com
Sat Nov 1 12:37:27 EST 2003


This is a status update on one of the San Diego Fires.  I spent all of
yesterday with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) on Otay Mountain
assessing the fire through their lands.  Over 90% of the mountain is
gone.  Due to the extensive damage, BLM is thinking of closing off the
Otay Truck Trail from public access until we get past the winter rains.
There will be very high probabilities of mud flows over the truck trail
and this will be a major threat to folks using it.

 

As for the Thorne's Hairstreak (Mitoura thornei), I found maybe 2 dozen
Tecate Cypress still standing disbursed throughout the area.  Little
Cedar Canyon at the lower end is gone but the upper end still has 2
cypress remaining.  They are charred but it appears the roots are
intact.  If this butterfly is not extinct from this fire, it may take
over 25 years before we see one.  I will be looking for funding
resources to go and monitor the Mountain annual for any evidence of this
butterfly's presence starting next year.  If you have any
recommendations as to where I may apply for grants, please let me know.

 

Also, Hermes Copper took a huge hit in San Diego.  The Crestridge
Preserve was almost entirely destroyed.  The hermes there numbered in
excess of 1,000 in 2001.  Some locations where the butterfly was
observed in 2003 survived, but most are gone.  Viejas Mountain is all
gone so the hermes that were photographed their from the SEBA folks in
May of this year will be your memories for now.  I can keep you apprised
of other areas as I have the opportunity to get out and assess them.

 

Michael Klein

San Diego

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