Dear Friends & Neighbors,
Last year, I worked with State Senator John Laird for Monterey County to receive $1 million from the California Office of Emergency Services for a pilot program to remove eucalyptus trees on private property. As the state experienced budget cuts, there was an attempt to claw back the $1 million from state officials. Senator Laird was successfully able to protect those funds.
In the coming weeks, specific details and the timeline of this groundbreaking initiative to reduce wildfire risks and safeguard the lives and property of North County residents will be introduced publicly. However, I can provide the general outline of those details now.
For those who are unfamiliar with eucalyptus trees, they are an invasive species introduced into California from Australia beginning in the mid-to-late nineteenth century. As a fast-growing tree, the intention was to provide a supply of lumber, firewood and other wood products as native oak forests were rapidly being depleted. Unfortunately, eucalyptus is not an acceptable wood for lumber or other wood needs, except as firewood.
Thousands of acres of eucalyptus trees now dominate North County hills. They have displaced the native oaks and plants and provide habitat for only a few of our native animals. Even worse, eucalyptus trees are one of the most combustible trees in the world. Their oily leaves ignite easily, and their shedding bark carries and spreads flames rapidly. The trees burn hot and fast and are particularly hazardous if a fire should start on a windy day.
The pilot program now approved by the Board of Supervisors will exclude eucalyptus trees in areas where monarch butterflies roost. There are only two sites identified as monarch habitat in North Monterey County; both are in the Moss Landing area. Elsewhere, eucalyptus trees used as nesting areas for birds will also be excluded from the program.
As mentioned above, this program is a pilot program solely for North Monterey County. If successful here, I am hopeful that further funding will be found to expand this program countywide.
At this time, the program is limited to trees that are within the 100-foot defensible space around buildings, or within 30 feet of a private road that would be necessary for emergency vehicles to use. However, this defensible space perimeter is only a guideline. Hazardous trees that may be a threat to blocking a road or falling on a home from outside the perimeter can be identified as such by program officials and be eligible for removal. The bigger eucalyptuses easily grow to over 100 feet in height.
The program will match 50% of the cost to remove a eucalyptus with a maximum of $25,000 per applicant. For example, a $10,000 bill for eucalyptus removal will receive a $5,000 match, reducing the property owner cost to $5,000.
Each property owner who wishes to participate will need to fill out an application and receive two quotes from a licensed contractor. The application will need to be submitted to my office in Castroville. The applications will be reviewed on a first-come, first-serve basis.
The site will then be inspected by an official from the Resource Conservation District, which is administering the program for Monterey County, and by either a representative from North County Fire or Aromas Tri-County Fire. Once the application is approved and the tree removed, the wood must be either cut and stacked as firewood, removed offsite, or ground to a mulch and spread onsite. The stump must also be treated or removed to prevent the eucalyptus tree from growing back. It is important to remember that eucalyptuses are resilient and a stump that appears dead may sprout new growth months later. It is important to be vigilant of this possibility long after the program ends.
The program will start in the coming weeks, but it is expected that no trees will be approved for removal prior to August so as to avoid bird nesting season. The details that I have mentioned above are rough guidelines. This is a first step in addressing the severe fire danger that all of us in North County face. Let us hope there will be many more opportunities to reduce our fire risk.
I wish all of you a fire-safe year as we go into our dry season.
As always, don't hesitate to reach out to my office for assistance. You can reach us at 831-755-5022 or district2@countyofmonterey.gov.
Sincerely,
Glenn Church
District 2 Supervisor
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