Here’s an update on fuel reduction activities that will be taking place in an area near you! Habitat season is officially over (as of mid-August), so this is the time of year that the OSMA can do serious work on trees and shrubs to make our area more fire safe and healthier overall. 

* Parker Hill Park – Since the OSMA took on maintenance of the wild portions of the two parks in our area, we have done quite a bit of work in Rincon Ridge Park. This year it’s Parker Hill Park’s turn. This week fuel reduction will begin there. Chaparral will be thinned heavily and Douglas-fir trees under 6″ in diameter and many California Bay Laurels will be removed to allow better growing environments for the beautiful oaks that exist there. That icky invasive broom will be removed, as well. 

* Two areas along old Parker Hill Road – the gravel road that runs behind homes along “new” Parker Hill – will be fuel reduced. One of those areas was once used as a junk dump and has old tires, a washing machine and water heater adding to the jungle of foliage. In September that area and another area just up the road will be cleaned up. 

* Our biggest project will be the fuel reduction along the fire roads in the open space between Crown Hill and Hadley Hill. The OSMA decided that instead of chipping away at one small area at a time that it might be most cost effective to remove excess fuel from a strip 50′ wide on either side of the fire roads (for a total width of 100′ – total area of just over 7.5 acres) that run through the area. That way the entire area will benefit from fuel reduction and the work crews will have excellent access to their chipping equipment without having to drag the cuttings a great distance. Significant cost savings. This project is scheduled to begin the first of October and will probably last the entire month. 

All of these projects were sent out to bid – all were awarded to Sandborn Tree Service. 

Also, you may have noticed that much of the old ranch barbed wire fencing that existed in various locations was removed recently. Hooray!