El Dorado County Fire Safe Council

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The mission of EI Dorado County Fire Safe Council is to protect the people of EI Dorado County and their property from the effects of catastrophic wildfire through education, cooperation, innovation and action.
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Residential Hazardous Tree Removal Program

The EDCFSC has received State grant funds to provide hazardous tree removal for individual homeowners on the West Slope of El Dorado County who wish to improve the safety of their property and community. This is a cost share program between the El Dorado County Fire Safe Council and those who own their home, to help mitigate the costs of felling dead and dying trees.

We are partnering with Mason, Bruce, & Girard, Inc. to offer a free assessment of hazardous trees on your property by ISA-Certified Arborists. This assessment will identify hazardous trees on your property which are beetle-infested, dead, or dying, and could potentially fall on a permitted structure, driveway or access road leading to those structures. If hazardous trees are identified, EDCFSC will provide a maximum of $4,000 of tree felling and chipping services per property, WITH the property owner’s contribution of 25% of the cost ($1000 paid directly to the contractor) for a total of $5000 in tree service work. For example, a $2500 dollar job will cost the homeowner $625. Those who are within El Dorado County’s household low-income threshold will be exempt from the 25% contribution.

Trees that may be felled and treated under this program include:

• Trees within 100 feet of a permitted structure which are dead or dying
• Trees within 100 feet of a permitted structure with symptoms of an active beetle infestation, such as pitch globules (pictured left)
• No clumps of dead trees under 7 inches DBH (can utilize the chipping program)

The project will consist of the following steps for each property:

 

    1. Initial assessment by an ISA-Certified Arborist.

    1. A Right Of Entry Agreement signed by the property owner.

    1. Arborist submits recommendation for landowner approval.
      a. Following landowner approval, tree contractors will cut down or piece down the tree(s) and may move logs/rounds 30 feet away from structures, when possible, to comply with Defensible Space.
      b. Eligible debris such as limbs are removed and/or chipped. Logs will not be removed but can be cut into rounds upon request.

    1. Final inspection by Arborist to ensure work has been completed properly.

Participating in this program, you will be doing your part to improve the safety of the community. Removing hazardous trees on your property can help prevent accidents, damage to property, and improve access to the area in case of an emergency.  The proactive removal of stressed or infested trees can also prevent future tree mortality by greatly slowing the spread of invasive beetles.  

*To enroll in the Residential Hazardous Tree Removal Project, please fill out and sign the application form at this link. Or download and print the PDF version*

Depending on enrollment, project work may be scheduled in conjunction with other properties in the area. For questions regarding this program contact the Hazardous Tree Representative at 530-786-0399.