Fire and Fuels Management
“We want to be fire safe”
“We want to help protect wildlife habitats from fire”
Decades of fire suppression has led to unnaturally dense stands of trees, and dense understories of shade-tolerant shrubs and trees that decrease overall forest health and increase susceptibility to catastrophic wildfire. Proper site thinning and pruning can mimic the historical presence of fire in a forest or wildland, thereby contributing to “cool” ground fires rather than more destructive fires that run to the crowns of trees and cause high mortality.
Evaluate your total property for firesafe protection. Prune ladder fuels, remove diseased trees, and create spacing in your forest and chaparral groupings. This practice will maintain wildlife habitat while mimicking a fire-dependant ecosystem.
Evaluate the structures on your property for fire safety and maintain a reasonable 100’ perimeter of properly spaced vegetation around them. Pay particular attention to avoiding situations that create a “ladder fuels” effect. There are several assistance programs to help you evaluate your thinning needs, and to educate you on such techniques as hand pruning, mastication, chipping and prescribed burning. Call the Nevada County FireSafe Council for financial and expert assistance, as well as the Natural Resource Conservation Service, CDF or local Forest Service office for information and specific advice.
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