Edgewood County Park - Old Stage Road Fuel Break

The County of San Mateo (“County”) covers most of the San Francisco Peninsula. The region covers 744 mi ² and is home to approximately 750,000 residents. The County is made up of 20 incorporated cities. The County provides for the health and welfare of all people within its borders and serves as the local government for the unincorporated areas. Innovation thrives here in industries including bioscience, computer software, green technology, hospitality, financial management, health care, education, and transportation. The County prides itself on how that prosperity fosters its commitment to protecting and enhancing the health, safety, welfare, and natural resources of the community.

The San Mateo County Parks Department (“Department”) serves nearly three million visitors every year. Visitors have many options when visiting the County’s unique park system. With 24 parks and recreation areas, over 16,000 acres of park land, and 190 miles of trail, the Department provides healthy outdoor activities, educational opportunities, and lasting memories.

Due to the diversity of the park system, visitors can enjoy an array of recreational opportunities, including walking; running; hiking; biking; picnicking; horseback riding; sailing; kite surfing; fishing; camping; gardening; tidepooling; volunteering; learning; sports courts; and playing on playgrounds.

The project goal consists of creating a shaded fuel break along both sides of Old Stage Road up to a total of approximately 7 acres supplemented by removing select standing dead tree up to 200 ft from either side of the trail to mitigate wildfire risk and enhance public safety by reducing fuels and to improve emergency vehicle ingress/egress along this fire road. Shaded fuel breaks function to slow the spread of wildfire and alter fire behavior by: 1) reducing the total volume of hazardous fuels, 2) breaking the continuity of vertical and horizontal fuels, and 3) reducing ladder fuels and minimize the likelihood of a fire spreading into and igniting the forest canopy. This understory thinning will also include the removal of California bay trees to reduce Sudden Oak Death (SOD) vectors. The shaded fuel break is designed to maintain a closed canopy and limit excessive growth of nonnative and invasive understory vegetative fuels. The fuel break will also facilitate fire suppression in the event of a wildfire by reducing the rate of spread and severity, as well as improving access and defensible space for emergency crews.

This fuel break is a continuation of a shaded fuel break that was developed along Sylvan Trail in 2021. This location has been identified as a high priority project for San Mateo County Parks Department (Parks Department) in the updated Department’s Wildfire Fuel Management Program (September 2025), which assesses and prioritizes fuel reduction projects across 24 parks, recreational areas, and regional trails, comprising approximately 16,000 acres. Further, this project supports two related projects: trail brushing needs identified by District 2 ranger staff, and pilot goat grazing project initiated by NRM staff.