Preparedness/Forest

Working Doc

Casey's mixing the two Meeting Notes files' Forestry bits. This is for future group edits.

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Barbara & Kevin O'Riley ( rinders - 610 Madrone ) hosted a meeting to discuss approaches to tree maintenance and thinning in the Canyon.

Rich Samson, Battalion Chief for CalFire, was presenter. He described himself as a forester and as an enforcer for forestry issues in our region.

fire is a 'contagion' condition - just clearing your lot is nice but doesn't help you if your neighbor's is full of fuel. That's why he approves of a neighborhood approach to thinning etc.

examine everything holistically.

• clear the big trees of dangling limbs up to at least 15 feet. This is to deter a ground fire from becoming a crown fire.
• clear the suckers, they will facilitate fire climbing up the trees
• clear the IVY. everywhere. It draws vermin, it catches on fire easily, it holds treefall in the air where it dries into nice kindling, and it makes unpredictable footing for emergency workers. Strip it off where it's climbing trees as it will lead the fire directly up its path.
• try to get rid of the Firs.
• up north all the ornamental plantings exploded. Holly's are very oily, as are madrones. cut them back or down.
• Now don't expect a lot of $ from commercial harvesters - the proximity of all these houses to the valuable trees increases their harvesting cost.
• a lot of these little side-trees and side growhts can go. ok some are not so little.
• cut stumps as low as possible. Less fuel, and if maintenance is deferred/abandoned the resulting sucker-tree will be stronger.