Expanded Countrywide Chipping Program for High Risk WUI Neighborhoods

Photo credit: Mike Eliason, Santa Barbara County Fire

Reducing combustible vegetation in the immediate vicinity of homes, other buildings, infrastructure and transit corridors is one of the most effective actions available for fire risk reduction in the county. Some fire protection agencies, such as Montecito and Carpinteria, have active chipping programs in select parts of the county where there is agency and community capacity to facilitate the necessary neighborhood-scale coordinated action these programs require. There is a great need for programs like this in other high fire risk areas of the county that are not currently served by them. Expanding this program will require investing in the very high priority "Neighborhood Organizing" project. Agencies need the support of community organizers who can mobilize and educate their neighborhood to cut and haul brush to roadsides and follow agency instructions to facilitate cost effective chipping. It will also require grant funding for chipping contractors (or sometimes agency staff and equipment, though this is quite limited) or other funding sources that may be available through home insurance alternatives at a later time.

Status: Seeking Funding (Fire Safe Council will seek funding for this)

Cost: Medium

Partners: Santa Barbara Fire Safe Council, Regional Wildfire Mitigation Program

Permitting: APCD coordination would be required, and potential CEQA analysis may be required due to the greenhouse gas emissions from chipper use, and may involve the Air Resources Board (ARB) to confirm equipment types are up to date.

Funding Sources: Grant has been submitted by the FSC to Cal Fire for this program.

Additional Notes: Chipping reduces fuel loads and incentivizes landowners to assess their homes and clear out dead/downed vegetation to reduce the risk of wildfire. Chipping programs create high-quality chips that can be used for other purposes, such as landscaping. This program requires a great deal of coordination and planning to successfully implement, including a neighborhood education program.