Chapter
Conservation
Conservation of local resources has been a key asset for the City since its incorporation in 1964. While many natural resources have already been permanently protected as a part of Thousand Oak’s extensive natural open space system, others fall under the jurisdiction of other public agencies, or are located on privately owned land. The purpose of this Element is to describe the general characteristics of natural, cultural, and historic resources and identify appropriate goals and policies to protect these resources while guiding future development in a sensitive manner. Balancing community needs with resource protection will facilitate long-term conservation and protection of vital resources for future generations.
Goals and Policies
Scenic Resources and Landforms
Goal C-1: Conserve Thousand Oaks’ physical setting and natural scenic resources.
C-1.1 Scenic resources.
Protect and preserve public viewsheds of the mountains and hillsides along roadways, open space, and other key locations.
C-1.2 Preservation of natural land features.
Preserve significant natural features including ridges, rock outcroppings, natural drainage courses, wetland and riparian areas, steep topography, important or landmark trees, and views.
C-1.3 Update standards and guidelines.
Update and consolidate existing Design Guidelines to include standards for hillside development and the preservation of special scenic resources that prohibit development that impact ridgelines, steep slopes and other natural land features.
C-1.4 City gateways.
Ensure that development proposed in defined gateway areas conforms to the City’s planning policies and guidelines for City Gateways.
C-1.5 Freeway corridors.
Ensure that development occurring in the view corridors of the Highway 101 and State Route 23 conforms to the Freeway Corridor Design Guidelines.
Goal C-2: Minimize and mitigate the visual effects of new urban development on hillsides.
C-2.1 Hillside areas.
Employ site and architectural design techniques to blend development into the hillside terrain.
C-2.2 Slope development.
Limit development on steep slopes and ridgelines.
C-2.3 Grading.
Update standards for the height of manufactured slopes and limitations on grading in areas of 25% or greater natural grade.
Community Forest
Goal C-3: Maintain and expand a healthy community forest in Thousand Oaks.
C-3.1 Street tree plantings.
Ensure the use of street tree plantings of appropriate species, scale and spacing in all new developments, in accordance with City tree standards.
C-3.2 Tree diversity.
Maintain a diversity of species and ages of trees throughout the City in order to avoid potentially unhealthy monocultures.
C-3.3 Tree planting.
Actively plant or replant trees in existing neighborhoods where trees are sparse or lacking.
C-3.4 Tree replanting.
Enhance the community forest to a level of 25% canopy coverage by planting climate-appropriate street trees, including the City’s legacy oak trees, in public spaces and corridors as described in the Forestry Master Plan.
Goal C-4: Protect oak and landmark trees to maintain Thousand Oak’s unique environmental character.
C-4.1 Protected tree preservation.
Continue to implement the City’s Oak Tree and Landmark Tree Ordinances per the municipal code and the Oak Tree Preservation and Protection Guidelines.
Goal C-5: Properly manage, conserve, and protect native plant communities.
C-5.1 Prohibit destructive practices.
Prohibit practices such as off-road vehicle use, hunting, and trapping that are incompatible with the long-term survival and viability of resident and migratory wildlife populations.
C-5.2 Critical habitat protection.
As feasible, protect, restore, and enhance critical wildlife habitat resources such as movement corridors, chaparral and coastal sage scrub plant communities, surface water impoundments, streams, and springs in order to maintain the biodiversity, biological productivity, and ecological integrity of natural open space areas.
C-5.3 Critical habitat restoration.
Support local and regional conservation projects that will have beneficial effects on vegetation and wildlife, including the restoration and enhancement of critical habitat resources that have been degraded or disturbed.
C-5.4 Native landscaping and plant viability.
Utilize native, pollinator-friendly plants appropriate to the soil type and environmental conditions of the site.
C-5.5 Landscape design.
Encourage new development to incorporate native or regionally adaptive vegetation into landscape plans and prohibit the use of species known to be invasive according to the California Invasive Plant Inventory.
C-5.6 Nesting sites and foraging areas.
Foster a holistic habitat that provides nesting sites and foraging areas for native pollinators.
C-5.7 Discontinue anticoagulants and rodenticides.
Continue to educate the public on ecosystem impacts of using anticoagulant rodenticides and discourage the use of anticoagulant rodenticides within the City.
C-5.8 Public education.
Produce materials to educate the public regarding the importance of native plant and animal species and best practices for encountering these species along trails or in other recreational spaces.
Goal C-6: Protect sensitive, rare, threatened, or endangered species.
C-6.1 Avoidance of species disturbance.
Prioritize protection of rare and endangered species through avoidance as a first priority, utilizing other forms of mitigation only if avoidance is infeasible.
C-6.2 Natural space.
Preserve complete ecosystems as natural open space in order to avoid the loss of sensitive plant and animal species.
C-6.3 Legislation.
Support legislation that encourages and facilitates the protection of endangered, threatened, sensitive and rare species as well as their habitats and movement corridors.
C-6.4 Reintroduction programs.
Support regional and state programs that facilitate the reintroduction of endangered, threatened, sensitive and rare species.
Goal C-7: Connect wildlife habitat and wildlife populations.
C-7.1 Wildlife movement corridors.
Design urban land uses adjoining natural open space in a manner that is sensitive to the needs of wildlife and avoids or minimizes adverse impacts to wildlife movement corridors.
C-7.2 Habitat linkages.
Support efforts by other government agencies or non-profit organizations to acquire additional land to complete vital habitat linkages and provide access by wildlife to these resources.
C-7.3 Urban-wildlife education.
Educate the public on local wildlife species and their habits and provide recommendations to reduce human–wildlife conflicts.
Goal C-8: Preserve natural streams.
C-8.1 Stream and creek protection.
Maintain streams and creeks in as natural a state as possible and protect from the adverse effects of development.
C-8.2 Restoration enhancement.
Restore and enhance degraded sections of streams and creeks as opportunities arise and financial resources become available.
C-8.3 Regional rehabilitation.
Support regional rehabilitation efforts for the Calleguas and Malibu Creek Watersheds.
C-8.4 Flood control.
Use of concrete for flood control improvements in natural drainage courses should occur only when no other alternatives can be found that would maintain natural hydrological and ecological functions.
C-8.5 Recreational opportunities.
Incorporate recreational amenities as part of restoration improvements, such as bike paths and walking paths, when compatible with riparian corridors, wetlands, and adjacent areas.
C-8.6 Development review.
Review all development projects on properties that include or are adjacent to streams to ensure stream protection.
C-8.7 Ventura County Watershed Protection District permit.
Ensure compliance with Ventura County Watershed Protection District permitting requirements for any development proposed over, under, adjacent to, or within the boundaries of a Watershed Protection District jurisdictional red line channel.
Goal C-9: Minimize disturbance of wetlands and riparian habitat.
C-9.1 Wetlands and riparian habitat.
Preserve wetlands and riparian habitat by maintaining existing wetland and riparian buffers as open space to protect the community’s water quality, biodiversity, and aesthetic value.
C-9.2 Wetland and riparian restoration.
Encourage the restoration and enhancement of degraded wetland and riparian habitats in order to conserve and protect native plant and animal species, increase biological diversity and productivity, and maintain permanent access for wildlife to surrounding open space.
Air Quality
Goal C-10: Achieve and maintain air quality that protects public health, safety, and welfare for those who live or work in the City and for visitors.
C-10.1 Ambient air quality.
Air quality should meet State and Federal standards, whichever are more protective, for human health.
C-10.2 Alternative transportation.
City actions shall seek to reduce dependency on gasoline- or diesel-powered motor vehicles by encouraging the use of alternative transportation modes and energy sources (e.g., transit, walking, bicycling) thereby reducing vehicle trips and vehicle miles traveled.
C-10.3 Non-vehicular pollution sources.
Reduce air pollution from non-vehicular sources, such as landscape equipment, manufacturing, power generation, and construction activity by transitioning to the use of electric equipment or low emission alternatives.
C-10.4 Air pollution exposure mitigation.
Minimize exposure to harmful levels of air pollution of residents and employees by reducing toxic air contaminants.
C-10.5 Vulnerable communities.
Avoid locating residences, schools, retirement homes, hospitals, etc. and vulnerable communities near major sources of air pollution, when feasible.
C-10.6 Health Risk Assessments for residential near freeways.
Require new development within 500 feet of freeways and roadways with over 100,000 vehicle trips per day that include residential uses or other sensitive receptors prepare a health risk assessment (HRA) to identify potential health risk impacts. Based on the results of the HRA, the City shall require mitigation measures as necessary, to reduce potential exposure to toxic air contaminants.
C-10.7 Construction Health Risk Assessments.
Require new development that is within 1,000 feet of sensitive receptors, will take longer than 2 months, and or does not utilize construction equipment that is USEPA Tier 4, fitted with Level 3 Diesel Particulate Filter, or uses alternative fuel to prepare a construction health risk assessment (HRA) to identify potential health risk impacts. Based on the results of the HRA, the City shall require mitigation measures as necessary, to reduce potential exposure to toxic air contaminants.
Cultural and Historic Resources
Goal C-11: Protect historical and culturally significant resources, which contribute to the community’s sense of identity.
C-11.1 Cultural resource identification and recognition.
Identify and, as appropriate, recognize significant cultural resources by identifying significant cultural resources with landmark designation plaques, directional signage, self-guided tours, programs, and events.
C-11.2 Cultural resource preservation.
Require that new development preserve or mitigate impacts to significant historic, archaeological, and paleontological resources.
C-11.3 Archeological site protection.
The preferred method for protecting any previously recorded archeological site shall be by deed restriction as permanent “open space”, in order to prevent any future development or use that might otherwise adversely impact these resources.
C-11.4 Native American consultation.
Conduct Native American consultation consistent with most recent regulations when new development is proposed in culturally sensitive areas.
C-11.5 Historic resource management.
Maintain, rehabilitate, and reuse significant historic resources, as feasible.
C-11.6 Archaeological site confidentiality.
Maintain a list of the locations of previously recorded archaeological sites confidential unless the release of such information to the public is specifically authorized by local Native American organizations or other entities with jurisdiction over such sites.
C-11.7 Resource stakeholder engagement.
Decisions pertaining to the disposition of archaeological, paleontological, historical, and cultural resources shall be made in concert with recognized public agencies, groups or individuals having jurisdiction, expertise, or interest in these matters, including but not limited to the State Office of Historic Preservation, Ventura County Cultural Heritage Board, and local Native American organizations, and affected property owners.
C-11.8 Public and private involvement.
Collaborate with private and public entities whose goals are to protect and preserve historic resources and important cultural resources.
Maps
View and download the maps found within this chapter using the gallery below.