Morro Manzanita (Arctostaphylos morroensis) Restoration Project

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife is authorizing a five-year ecological restoration initiative from 2025 to 2030 under a California Endangered Species Act permit to collect and propagate Morro manzanita, an endangered plant species, within Montaña de Oro State Park. Up to 200 fruits will be harvested annually during late fall from wild populations, with strict limits ensuring no more than five percent of available seed is taken from any individual plant or population to prevent adverse impact. Collected fruits will undergo fire-simulation scarification and be propagated in a state greenhouse, with seedlings grown to one-gallon pot size before outplanting during each rainy season, with no more than 50 plants reintroduced per season into designated restoration plots adjacent to existing wild stands. Restoration efforts will also include planting native companion species such as coyote brush, sticky monkeyflower, and lupine to support the recovery of the maritime chaparral ecosystem. Annual monitoring and progress reports are required to be submitted to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to ensure compliance with permit conditions and ecological outcomes. The project is carried out by the California Department of Parks and Recreation, San Luis Obispo Coast District, with oversight from the CDFW's Habitat Conservation Planning Branch, and operates under a categorical exemption from CEQA as a habitat restoration activity. All activities are confined to specified locations within San Luis Obispo County, California, with no commercial procurement or financial terms outlined, as this is a regulatory permit execution rather than a competitive contract award. No standard federal contract clauses, pricing data, delivery terms, or procurement specifications apply; instead, the framework is defined by environmental regulations, collection thresholds, propagation protocols, and reporting obligations.