Fire Safe Workshop May 15

On a beautiful Saturday morning last month, 23 Dooners (and 3 dogs) gathered at the Martin Road fire house for our first Fire Safe Workshop. After some illuminating PowerPoint Presentations, we toured the shaded fuel break in the Ecological Reserve, then proceeded to Val Haley's place to learn the ground truth about ecologically sensitive mosaic firescaping. As participants left they had an opportunity to tour the terrific work that the Vineyard Road Association has done preparing their neighborhood.

You can see photos of the event at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/50240808@N06/sets/72157624082351794

Two Chipper Programs

The end of burn season is no reason to stop working with your neighbors to reduce wildfire hazards here in Bonny Doon. Two county-wide free chipping programs, to help people get rid of brush once they have cleared, are now getting started.. The oldest, sponsored by the the Santa Cruz County Fire Chiefs, emphasizes access roads, and is provided locally through the Bonny Doon Volunteer Fire Team. The other, funded by a grant from the California Fire Safe Council Grants Clearinghouse to the Resource Conservation District of Santa Cruz County, emphasizes defensible space around homes, and is provided through bonded local contractors. Obviously there is flexibility in both, neither will chip poison oak , nor broom that has bloomed and is going to seed.

Working Together As Neighbors

In addition to the Vineyard Road Association, the neighbors along Brisa Del Mar and Feather Lane, with some help from the Fire Safe Council, have also been busy this spring reducing the fuel in their neighborhoods.