Road Clearance Update

Work along St Hwy 144 - Sycamore Canyon

As we head into the winter season we are nearing the completion of our annual vegetation road clearance project. We have just about completed 13 of the 15 miles designated for this year.

The roads that we have left to finish are:
W. Mountain Drive
Coyote Road
Westmont Road
Overlook Lane
Knoll Circle
Coronada Circle
Eucalyptus Hill Road
Woodland Drive
Alston Lane
Summit Lane

Calling For "Water"

Santa Barbara City Municipal Code requires homeowners to make sure that vegetation on their property does not encroach onto adjacent roadways. This effort includes keeping evacuation routes clear of flammable vegetation and thinning vegetation along the roadways.

It is very important to maintain the work that has been completed by our road clearance crews. On average we are able to treat each roadway on a 2-3 year rotation. Keeping up our roadways is not only important for your safety and the safety of the community it is the law.

Those property owners who have a fire hydrant on their property are required to maintain 3' of clearance in all directions. Please insure that your landscaping vegetation does not hide, conceal or cover any hydrant.

One At A Time

I haven't posted much on the Coyote/Circle/Westmont project area so I thought I would take this chance to highlight some of the great work that has been occurring on the project. The majority of this project area includes actual work on 7 acres located on the lower section of Coyote Road x Sycamore Canyon. A majority of this project area was burned in the 2008 Tea Fire and involves the crews in removing a lot of burned and dead material.

Work is being accomplished by a CCC Type 1 hand crew out of Camarillo, CA. Not only have they been doing some great hazardous fuels reduction work, this project area has presented them a perfect opportunity to sharpen their skills on the saw and to train others so that in times of emergency they are prepared to do the job quickly and safely.

In this video they are practicing a method of falling to prevent a very dangerous out of control situation, known as a "barber chair", from occurring on this large leaning dead tree.

Project Updates

December will mark the last month available to complete all work under the 2010 Santa Barbara Community Hazard Reduction Grant that has been funded in cooperation with the California Firesafe Council.

There is currently only a small amount of ground work left to be completed, in addition to the removal of several large Eucalyptus Trees that have been identified for removal, on the Eucalyptus Hill Road vegetation management unit project. These trees are either dead or pose a significant fire hazard. Work to remove these trees is taking place this week.

We are also in the final days of completing work in the Coyote Road/Circle Drive/Westmont project. That project is expected to be completed within the next 2 weeks.

2013 Chipping Schedule

Here it is....the 2013 Defensible Space Chipping Schedule

**Please note, there have been some major changes to the scheduled chip weeks. Chip areas have not changes from last year, however, the timing has**

Sheffield/Parma ..............................March 4
Las Canoas ....................................March 18
West Mountain ...............................April 1
Westmont/Circle .............................April 15
Coyote Road ..................................April 22
Las Tunas ......................................April 29
Eucalpytus Hill ...............................May 13
San Roque/Ontare ..........................May 20
Sycamore Canyon/Las Alturas ........May 28
Lower Riviera .................................June 3

More information will be printing in the annual newsletter that is scheduled to be delivered to each property owner January 2013.

Dead Trees and Defensible Space

It appears that there is an increase of dead and dying trees throughout the district.

Just a reminder that Defensible Space is required to be maintained all year. If you are interested in what you can do about dead trees and/or what you can do to improve your defensible space as we continue with unseasonably dry weather please call us for a voluntary defensible space assessment. 564-5737

2013 Defensible Space Chipping.

DEFENSIBLE SPACE CHIPPING SERVICES are provided to all district property owners in an effort to assist in complying with the City Fire Department defensible space clearance requirement deadline of June 15 each year. Chipping services encourage property owners to create defensible space and provide a cost effective way to dispose of cut material.


***THERE WILL BE SOME MAJOR CHANGES TO THE 2013 CHIPPING SCHEDULE***

It is still scheduled to run March-June, however, we will be adjusting the timing of most of the chip areas to adjust for the amount of brush that we have received in previous years. Stay tuned, as we will work to get the schedule up in December.

The chipping schedule can always be found inside the front cover of your newsletter that is sent to each property in January of each year.

It's Been A While.

"Before" on Coyote Road

Time does fly. Especially when you are busy and busy we are. With multiple projects in the works, I have found that I am a bit back logged updating pictures and projects. I will, over the next few weeks, be posting pictures about our activity through the Wildland Fire Suppression Assessment District over the past few months.

The picture above is one of the many reasons we have been so busy. We are 2 weeks into our last California Fire Safe Council Grant project area. This project area is a combination of the Coyote Road, Westmont/Las Barrancas. and Circle Drive Vegetation Management Units. Overgrown, loaded with exotic/invasive plants, and full of dead material that was hit hard during the 2008 Tea Fire, this project area leaves us with plenty to do.

Current project work is occurring on the parcels on the South end of Coyote Road. Work is being accomplished with a California Conservation Corp, Type I Fire Handcrew being run under the direction of Cal Fire. I expect that work that will take place, wildland fires permitting, throughout the next few weeks in hopes that we have completion by the Thanksgiving holiday.

While I don't have any "after" pictures uploaded yet, I have included some "before" shots to give you an idea of what we have been working with in this project.

2012 Vegetation Road Clearance Starts Monday

The City of Santa Barbara’s Fire Department will be implementing the High Fire Hazard Vegetation Road Clearance Project starting on September 10, 2012. The work will continue through mid-December, 2012. The roads to be completed are shown in the table below.

This year 15.3 miles of roads will be cleared through funds established by the Wildland Fire Suppression Assessment District in both the Extreme Foothill and Foothill Zone of the City’s high fire hazard area.

The purpose of vegetation road clearance is to reduce the total amount of vegetation along roadways, enhance evacuation during a wildland fire and allow greater access for fire engines and equipment to respond during a wildfire.

It is very important to maintain and keep up the work that has been completed. Maintaining roadways is not only important for your safety but the safety of the community.

Since the Fire Department is not able to complete every mile of road in the high fire hazard area on an annual basis, the maintenance of the road clearance work is the responsibility of each property owner. Santa Barbara Municipal Code requires homeowners to make sure that vegetation on their property does not encroach onto adjacent roadways. This effort includes keeping evacuation routes clear of flammable vegetation and thinning vegetation along the roadways.

In years past we have been able to recycle 97% of the chipped material and accomplished the same this year. If you have questions related to the project or have questions related to City property requirements you can call Amber at 564-5737.

Roads:

1 - Francisco Dirve - All of Francisco Drive

2 - N Ontare Road - From Santa Teresita to Via Tusa

3 - Celine Drive - All of Celine Drive

4 - Jesusita Lane - From San Roque Rd to Cul-De-Sac

5 - E Alamar Avenue - From Foothill Road North to Gate

6 - Marilyn Way - All of Marilyn Way

7 - Lucinda Lane - All of Lucinda Lane

8 - E Calle Laureles - From Foothill Road To Marilyn Way

9 - Orena Street - All of Orena Street

10 - Grand Avenue - From Moreno to Valerio

11 - E Valerio Street - From Olive Avenue to Grand Avenue

12 - Colina Lane - From Alta Vista East to End

13 - Alvarado Place - All of Alvarado Place

14 - San Carlos Road - All of San Carlos Road

15 - El Encanto Road - All of El Encanto Road

16 - Lasuen Road - Moreno to El Encanto

17 - Moreno Road - From APS to Lasuen

18 - Arguello Road - All of Arguello Road

19 - Rubio Road - All of Rubio Rd

20 - Ferrelo Place - All of Ferrelo Place

21 - San Diego Road - All of San Diego Road

22 - De La Guerra Road - From Los Pueblos Road to APS

23 - Hillcrest Road - All of Hillcrest Road

24 - High Ridge Lane - All of High Ridge Lane

25 - Las Alturas Road - All of Las Alturas Road

26 - Las Alturas Circle - All of Las Alturas Circle

27 - Pueblo Vista Road - All of Pueblo Vista Road

28 - Loma Media Road - All of Loma Media Road

29 - Roble Lane - All of Roble Lane

30 - Conejo Road - All of Conejo Road

31 - Sherman Road - All of Sherman Road

32 - Sycamore Canyon Road - From APS to Hwy 192

33 - Las Canoas Road - From El Cielito to City Limits

34 - Gibraltar Road - From El Cielito to City Limits

35 - Mountain Drive - From Mission Ridge to W Mountain Drive

36 - W Mountain Drive - From Mountain Dr/El Cielito Rd to City Limits

37 - Coyote Road - From 890 to 1002 Coyote Road

38 - Westmont Road - All of Westmont Road

39 - Overlook Lane - From APS to La Vista Grande (Both Sections)

40 - Knoll Circle Drive - All of Knoll Circle Drive

41 - Coronada Circle - All of Coronada Circle

42 - Eucalyptus Hill Road - From Coronada Circle to City Limits

43 - Woodland Drive - All of Woodland Drive

44 - Alston Lane - All of Alston Lane

45 - Summit Lane - All of Summit Lane

Defensible Space

An example of defensible space in our Foothill High Fire Hazard Area. Nicely done.

Big Work Starts Tomorrow

Large Trees Throughout the Eucalyptus Hill Project

In addition to the ground work treatment that is accomplished through our projects, on many occasions, work will also require us to thin out, limb up and treat larger stands of mature trees. The Eucalyptus Hill Road project is a great example of a project area that has a dense stand of very tall, mature trees that have not been maintained. These Eucalyptus, Pittosporum and Palm trees are all invasive, contribute significantly to the overall fuel load in the area, create ladder fuels and limit the growth of more fire resistant native vegetation.

Over the next few week we will have a crew working through our project area to reduce the overall density of these larger Eucalyptus trees in the area.

It's A Jungle Out There



Before

 We are now two weeks into the Eucalyptus Hill Road project and our crews are making great progress. They have cut nearly 3 acres and are working on pulling that material out from a large canyon area located just off Eucalyptus Hill Road. This area currently poses a significant fire hazard due to the total fuel load comprised of dead vegetation, overgrown/unmaintained vegetation and invasive plants like pittosporum and eucalyptus trees that have taken over the area.

Through this project we will also be targeting the removal of some larger eucalyptus trees. Initial removal of these trees is set to begin Monday, August 27th


Vegetation Being Hauled Out



Eucalyptus Hill Road Project Begins

With the release of our bird nesting season requirements we broke ground this week on the Eucalyptus Hill vegetation management project. This project is expected to run through mid-October. A total of 26 acres is scheduled to be treated. Stay tuned for information and more pictures.

2012 Vegetation Management Projects Prepare to Begin

Before - 2011 Hillcrest Road Project Site

After - 2011 Hillcrest Road Project Site

Starting next month, the Fire Department will be busy completing 20 acres of fuel hazard reduction work through two Vegetation Management Projects which include both the Eucalyptus Hill Road and Coyote Road areas.


Through these projects, the fire department will work closely with both individual property owners and neighborhoods to accomplish wildfire safety education, assist with completing fuel hazard reduction, protect natural resources unique to the area, and outline maintenance programs for continued hazard mitigation. By working with multiple property owners, there is a greater impact on reducing the community threat from wildfire. In addition, work through these projects allow firefighters a greater opportunity to effectively save lives and property as fire moves from the Wildland into the more densely populated areas of the City.

Vegetation management focuses on the removal of flammable vegetation outside a property owner’s required defensible space by preferentially removing exotic pest plants, thinning, pruning and limbing existing vegetation to remove fire ladders, limbing up of oak over story, pruning out dead material, and thinning out continuous areas of brush.

Funding used to complete these collaborative fuels hazard reduction projects between the City and residents of the high fire hazard area is provided by a combination of funds established through the Wildland Fire Suppression Assessment District and a grant provided by a National Fire Plan grant from the Cooperative Fire program of the U.S. Forest Service, Department of Agriculture, Pacific Southwest Region, through the California Fire Safe Council.

30 Foot Zone

The 30 Foot Zone

Question: What is the most important area to focus on with regards to defensible space?

Answer: The 30 foot zone.

This is the area directly adjacent to your home. Plantings in this zone should be low growing and irrigated. use non-flammable materials for paths, patios, and mulch. Shrub plantings should be minimal in this zone and be widely spaced. Trees should be planted so that canopies are no closer than 15 feet from a structure and spaced at least 30 feet from other trees to prevent canopies from touching once fully grown.

Behind The Scenes



Coyote/Circle/Westmont Project



Eucalyptus Hill Project

Now that our defensible space chipping services are wrapped up, our vegetation road clearance project doesn't start for two more months, and we are observing our vegetation management biological/environmental requirements during bird nesting season, you may find yourself wondering what we do.



Besides starting this blog off with a very long sentence, we are behind the scenes preparing for all of the work ahead of us this fall. Specifically, the remaining two projects funded in part by the National Fire Plan grant provided through the California Fire Safe Council. These remaining project areas, scheduled to be completed by December, will kick off in early August.



Work through these projects will occur outside of a homeowner’s defensible space requirement area (100' to 150' from edge of structure) in the large open spaces where multiple properties join together. Work on each parcel requires the Fire Department to enter into a signed Letter of Understanding. This document allows us to perform work on private property and also outlines future maintenance requirements. Work is performed according to the vegetation management specifications provided under the City’s 2004 Wildland Fire Plan.

The two project areas that we have scheduled for completion include the Eucalyptus Hill project area and the combined Coyote Road/Coyote Circle/Westmont-Las Barrancas project area. Treatment in these areas will occur on an estimated 15-20 acres and will be completed utilizing a combination of privately contracted crews and by the California Conservation Corps. crews provided by CAL FIRE.

That's A Wrap

Thank you to all of the homeowners who have once again made our annual Defensible Space Chipping Project a success. Project work for this season is now complete.

Stay tuned to this blog, our website and the City Fire Department Facebook page for next years' schedule.

**We are anticipating some changes to both the chip areas and the schedule due to the recent re-opening of Sycamore Canyon Road.

Chippers and Chainsaws....2 Months Away

Check out the video highlighting the start of our previous project:
Las Tunas/Mountain Drive Project Video

Two months from now the hills will be alive with the sounds of chainsaws and chippers as we begin work once again through the Wildland Fire Suppression Assessment Districts Vegetation Management Program.

We are scheduled to complete two project areas later this summer. Those projects include work through the Coyote/Circle Drive/Westmont Road project and the Eucalyptus Hill project. While no work is actively being accomplished on the ground we are busy in the background selecting our contractors and establishing partnerships with private property owners to hit the ground running in August.

For more information regarding our vegetation management projects check out our WEBSITE and sign up as a friend of the Santa Barbara City Fire Department's FACEBOOK page for instant news updates.

 

Chipping for West Mountain Starts Monday, June 11th

FREE Defensible Space Chipping starts Monday, June 11th for all homeowners within the West Mountain chip area for the Wildland Fire Suppression Assessment District.

This is our last chip area and will conclude this years annual Defensible Space Chipping program. Stay tuned for further updates regarding this summers projects.

Red Flag Warning? Check our Facebook page.

Have you "friended" the Fire Department on Facebook? I know, I know you don't want to be a part of all the crazy social media; however, friending the Fire Department is highly beneficial. Let me explain.

Not only do we post timely notices of current events happening throughout the Wildland Fire Suppression District, much the same as this blog, but we, the Fire Department, also post critical information regarding issues that may directly affect you. Specifically, this week's hot, dry winds and issued Red Flag Warning.

You can subscribe to receive all notifications as soon as they come out. Part of being prepared is your own situational awareness. Being aware of predicted weather is one key element in this preparedness.

If you haven't yet, please check out our Facebook page.

CLICK HERE to be connected directly.

Weather Forecast: Tuesday Evening - Thursday Morning

Coyote Road Chipping Starts Tuesday, May 29th

FREE Defensible Space Chipping starts TUESDAY, May 29th for all homeowners within the Coyote Road chip area for the Wildland Fire Suppression Assessment District.

....Yes, Tuesday, is correct. Due to the Memorial Day holiday, we will not be chipping on Monday. This means homeowners in the Coyote Road chip area have an additional day to do any trimming in order to achieve their defensible space needs.

Westmont/Circle Drive Chipping Starts Monday, May 21

FREE Defensible Space Chipping starts Monday, May 21st for all homeowners within the Westmont/Circle Drive chip area for the Wildland Fire Suppression Assessment District.

Keep up the good work! We have been seeing a lot of brush come out of the neighborhoods. With fire season quickly approaching it is great to see all of your hard work and efforts going towards making your neighborhood, and our community, more fire safe.

Sheffield/Parma Chipping Starts Monday, May 7th

FREE Defensible Space Chipping starts Monday, May 7th for all homeowners within the Wildland Fire Suppression Assessment District.

Project update: For homeowners within the Las Canoas chip area, the crews are still out this week chipping all of the brush that was put out. if your pile is still there, don't worry. The crews will be by to pick it up. They are working the next couple of days off El Cielito, Mt Calvary, and Gibraltar Roads.

San Roque/Ontare Chipping Starts Monday April 9th

FREE Defensible Space Chipping starts Monday, April 9th for all homeowners within the Wildland Fire Suppression Assessment District.

Chipping Reminder

To comply with our Defensible Space Chipping Program requirements all homeowners are required to have their brush out on the date posted.

Please understand that our contractor only runs one chipper. Each chip pile is document on Monday and a list is given to the contractor. Depending on where they start in the project and how much brush is put out it may take us a few days to get to your pile.

You are welcome to continue adding to your pile until it is picked up. However, once the chippers pass through the area they will not be making second passes.

Please call us with questions 564-5737

Las Tunas Area Chipping Starts Monday, March 26th

FREE Defensible Space Chipping for the LAS TUNAS chip area starts next Monday, March 26, for homeowners in who are within the Wildland Fire Suppression Assessment District.

Thank you to all homeowners who have participated this year. We are in the 3rd week of this year’s project and are setting record numbers once again. Great job!

Eucalyptus Hill Chipping Starts Monday

All homeowners in the Eucalyptus Hill Chip Area will have the opportunity to have their cut vegetation chipped this Monday, March 19, 2012.

As long as your cut material is out near the curb by Monday morning our crews will be by to pick it up.

**As a reminder, dependant on the amount of piles that may be placed it could take our crews some time to reach your pile. You are welcome to continue adding to your pile, however, once it is gone we will not be making second passes through the area.

Sycamore Canyon/Las Alturas Chipping Starts Monday, March 12

Homeowners in the Sycamore Canyon/Las Alturas chip area begin your preparations for next weeks chipping.

Free chipping will be offered to all homeowners as long as material is set out according to the instructions and set out on the specified date for each area.

Before and After

Due to the large amounts of photography taken on our recent project it has taken me some time to go through all of the pictures. Pictures are a great way to showcase what it is that is accomplished through our projects and I can't wait to highlight some of that work here on this blog for you. With that said, I am going to be posting some quick before and afters here on the blog from time to time.

Here is some work that was recently done along Mountain Drive.

Before



After



Before

After

Chipping for Lower Riviera Starts March 5

Get ready, here we come! Our first chip area starts March 5th. Property owners can begin to set out brush for us to chip as long as it doesn't interfere with through traffic. If it put out according to our instructions we will take as much as you can give us.

We are all working towards making our community more fire safe!

Who Does The Work?

We often get asked who does the work on our projects. Is it the City? Firefighters? Hand crews? Contracted Crews?

The work on all of our current projects is contracted with private, local companies. From time to time, however, we have been known to utilize the Cal Fire Youth Authority Hand crews out of the Ventura Camp on a few of our early projects.

Here is a breakdown of which crews are on our projects:
     • Hillcrest Road Vegetation Management Project
           Wilson Environmental Landscape Design.
               **Project was sub-contracted to Branch Out Tree Care
     • Las Tunas/Mountain Drive Vegetation Management Project
            Terry Peterson Enterprises
     • Vegetation Road Clearance
            Peterson Tree Care
     • Defensible Space Chipping
            Terry Peterson Enterprises

We are fortunate to have great crews who are all very hard working. They strive to provide the property owners of the district with the most professional work possible.

First of Four Community Fuels Reduction Projects Complete

What is a Community Fuels Reduction Project? It is comprised of four vegetation management units that were selected to be treated through the recently awarded grant project.

Funding for the four project areas is provided by a National Fire Plan grant from Cooperative Fire Program of the U.S. Forest Service, Department of Agriculture, Pacific Southwest Region, thorugh the California Fire Safe Council.

Through these projects, our goal is to modify the existing vegetation to change fire behavior and improve the survivability and safety of both lives and property within Santa Barbara's foothill high fire hazard areas. Work through these projects occurs outside of a property owners required defensible space area and require that property owners maintain the work that was completed.

The four grant project areas include Las Tunas/Mountain Drive; Hillcrest Road; Coyote/Westmont/Circle Drive; and Eucalyptus Hill. Over the past 18 months, the fire department has worked very closely with over 200 property owners who are within the project boundaries. Actual work on the ground began on the Las Tunas/Mountain Drive and Hillcrest Projects this past fall with the remaining two areas expected to be finished during the fall of 2012.



Before and After of a large, overgrown and unmaintained hedge.



Last week marked the full completion of the Hillcrest Road project. This was our largest vegetation managment unit project area completed since the start up of the Wildland Fire Suppression Assessment District. Over the past 6 months we treated 12.77 acres, performed actual work on 40 properties and havd a per-acre cost of $5,068.77. This doesn't include, however, all of the hard work that the property owners have put in to strengthen the area within their defensible space. In addition to the work being performed through the grant, defensible space chipping services were provided to property owners as an additional incentive.

Each week we see more and more property owners fully understand what defensible space means and taking steps towards insuring that they meet the City's requirements. The neighborhoods that run along Mission Ridge, Hillcrest Road and Franceschi Road are looking great and the fire department is very glad to have had the opportunity to work with everyone involved.

Opening "boxed canopies" on Franceschi Road

Get Ready for Chipping

Annual chipping services will be provided again this spring to property owners within the Wildland Fire Suppression Assessment District.

Chipping services are provided to encourage property owners to create defensible space and provide a cost effective way to dispose of cut material. As long as property owners adhear to the posted chipping schedule (below) and place vegetation out according to the designated chipping area they are located in we will dispose of the material at no cost. The chip area map is located on the inside front cover of the newsletter that was sent out in January, on our website or by clicking here. For any questions related to which chipping area you are located in please call us at 965-5254.

March 5    - Lower Riviera
March 12  - Sycamore Canyon/Las Alturas
March 19  - Eucalyptus Hill
March 26  - Las Tunas
April 9       - San Roque/Ontare
April 23    - Las Canoas
May 7       - Sheffield/Parma
May 21     - Westmont/Circle
May 29     - Coyote Road
June 11    - West Mountain

There are very specific requirements of what can be chipped. Vegetation that does not meet these requirements will not be chipped and will be the responsibility of the property owner to dispose of.

The following chipping instructions need to be followed:

• Cut vegetation should be laid out in a pile along the street area outside of the drivable roadway.
• The cut end of all vegetation must face the street so contractors can easily handle material.
• Brush should be left in long lengths (4-7 feet). It is much easier to chip.
• Branches should be no greater than 10 inches in diameter.
• Material in plastic bags will not be picked up.Twine or string must not be used to tie vegetation.
• Rocks or other debris will not be chipped.
• Long piles OK as long as they are not over 4 feet in height.
• Old dead vegetation that has been lying around for years cannot be chipped (this type of vegetation damages chipper blades).
• Pine needles or other leaf litter cannot be chipped.
• Piles pushed or moved by mechanical means, i.e. tractor, cannot be chipped.
• Grasses, palm fronds, succulents or agaves will not be chipped.

Road Clearance Program Completed

Our annual vegetation road clearance program was another success this year. With the help of Peterson's Tree Care, a private contractor, we were able to perform vegetation road clearance on 14.5 miles of roadways throughout our district!!

All in all, the roads throughout the district are looking great. Now that every road has been treated, we are in much more of a maintenance phase with this project. Homeowners are still required, on an annual basis, to insure that their vegetation does not block the flow of traffic and that all dead vegetation is removed. Because we are on roughly a 3 year rotation we need some help with maintenance in between our visits.

This year we were able to tackle some of the bigger roadside hazard problems such as tall/overgrown hedges, dense flammable vegetation and large dead tree removals.

We appreciate all of the cooperation and patience with homeowners as we completed this work. You may find a list of the roads that were treated through this years program by visiting the WFSAD Road Clearance website.

Before - East Las Tunas Road



After - East Las Tunas Road



Stay posted for a list of the roads that will be completed starting fall of 2012. And, as always, if you feel that there is any road that should be addressed, please contact us at 564-5737

2012 WFSAD Newsletters

It has been several months since our last post. We have been out in the field and very busy with this seasons vegetation management projects. The good news about our dry winter season is that it has allowed us to make great progress on all of our projects. As we approach the upcoming bird nesting season we are completing our last final touches before we break until August. You can expect more updates, as well as features from the past three months here shortly.

In the meantime, defensible space chipping is right around the corner. Each year we see more and more property owners take advantage of this very popular program. We hope the same holds true this year. In an effort to aid you in your planning efforts, the schedule for this years project is listed inside the front cover of the annual WFSAD newsletter.

The newsletter hit mailboxes last week. In addition to the chipping schedule you will find a lot of information regarding the programs and projects provided by the district. We have also expanded our educational material regarding defensible space and fire resistant landscaping. On the inside back cover, you will notice a defensible space checklist to help you monitor your own wildfire safety.

We hope you enjoy this years newsletter and we look forward to continuing the successful project offered to you. Everyday the residence of Santa Barbara are creating a more fire safe place to live and it all starts with you!