Director Wysocki told the Forest and Beach Commission the city is moving to finish a long-planned Carmel Forest Master Plan and aims to complete the process by early 2026.

"This is definitely a truly community informed science based draft plan," Director Wysocki said, describing work that began in late 2021, included a data-driven canopy assessment by Davy Tree and multiple community workshops and surveys. He said the plan is a "long term strategic road map" that sets measurable goals and tracking metrics but is not itself regulatory.

The draft will be posted to the city website and the Pinecone newsletter on Oct. 10, Wysocki said, and the plan’s steering committee will meet Oct. 21 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. He added the city will collect public feedback at that meeting, prepare a final draft and then submit the plan to CEQA review.

Why it matters: Commissioners and residents stressed the timeline and public availability because participants said some community members were unaware that the draft was about to be released. "I was just wondering, can I make a few comments about the master plan since we didn't open it to the public," said Melanie, a member of the public who asked the commission to ensure residents had time to review the draft.

Wysocki said the work stems from several years of data collection and expert review: a canopy inventory and assessment by Davy Tree, an independent ecological review in November 2024, a community survey in November 2023 and multiple workshops dating back to 2022. He said the plan will offer implementation tools including periodic assessments, public progress metrics, volunteer coordination and education programs; some elements could later be incorporated into the general plan or the local coastal program.

Commissioners asked about the role of the steering committee and whether CEQA review had been scheduled. Wysocki said the steering committee will continue refining the draft and the city will submit a final draft for CEQA analysis after incorporating steering-committee and community feedback.

Public commenters and some commissioners urged a careful public outreach schedule. Melanie and Linda Smith of Monterey Pine Forest Watch both asked that ecological context be preserved and incorporated into the update; Smith said a previous forest-management plan (2001) contained material that should remain in any update.

Next steps: staff will post the draft online on Oct. 10, hold the Oct. 21 steering-committee meeting, gather public comments, prepare a final draft and then submit it for CEQA review before pursuing council adoption and implementation steps.

Officials and consultants repeatedly emphasized the plan is a guidance document intended to align budgets, operations and community engagement over decades, not an immediate regulatory change.