Atop 2,476 foot Cuesta Peak is a forest of electronic towers. The remaining towers serve approximately 100 users of high power radio and microwave equipment. Fire Fuelbreak A fuelbreak exists along the entire ridge. It averages about 300 feet wide and has been designed to blend in visually with the naturally occurring features. The areas of the fuelbreak where dense brush has been removed are now dominated by plant communities of low growing grasses, fortes and shrubs.
Some maintenance is done annually to perpetuate and enhance the fuel break.
As you drive through the Botanical Area, a close inspection reveals that the trees and shrubs adjacent to the road have been pruned and thinned creating a park like appearance. The naturally occurring dense stands of Sargent Cypress occur beyond the edge of the maintained fuelbreak. This area was established in 1969 and contains 1,334 acres of National Forest land. The moat conspicuous plant if the Sargent Cypress, a relatively uncommon tree. This unique plant community has developed on a coastal ridge dominated by heavy marine influence resulting in frequent fog and low clouds along the ridge.