Palomar Ranger District Goldspotted Oak Borer (GSOB) Management - Annual Application of Contact Insecticide (Project)

The Project involves the annual application of contact insecticide to individual high-value coast live oak and California black oak trees within developed recreation and administrative areas on the Cleveland National Forest to combat infestations of the invasive Goldspotted Oak Borer. The goal is to reduce tree mortality, safeguard public safety, and preserve canopy cover and critical ecosystem services in frequently visited public spaces. Treatments will be delivered exclusively through targeted basal trunk spraying, following U.S. Forest Service protocols and all applicable pesticide labeling requirements, and will be limited to areas already disturbed and maintained, with no new construction, grading, or vegetation clearing permitted. Extensive precautions are built into the implementation plan to minimize environmental and public risks, including strict buffers from watercourses, comprehensive spill prevention measures, and robust public safety controls. All work will occur within existing developed sites to avoid impacting natural areas or increasing site uses. The initiative is managed by the Resource Conservation District, Greater San Diego, with oversight from Heather Cady, Director of Forestry and Wildfire Resilience Programs, and is planned for execution in California, specifically within the Palomar Ranger District, with public notification and regulatory compliance embedded as core components of the operation.