Dangerous Trees Set for Removal
by Bobbi Zane

Many Julian residents received notices in late July that they may be eligible for removal of dead, diseased, and dying trees within the next year.

The notices came from the county’s Fire Safety and Fuels Reduction program announcing that they will remove the trees in high-risk areas, especially around dwellings and along major evacuation corridors. Because the county received a grant of $40 million from the federal government to conduct the program tree-removal on targeted properties will be free to residents.

Members of the Julian Community Planning Group heard a presentation outlining the details of the tree-removal program at their July 12 meeting.

Tom Ober-bauer of the San Diego County Planning department explained that the tree density is too high even though many pines have already died due to drought, bark beetle infestation, or fire. "This is the first step toward returning the forested area around Julian to its proper density."

Julian residents including those in Kentwood and Whispering Pines have already received the letter from the county requesting permission to enter the property, initially to identify and mark the hazardous trees and later to remove them.

Targeted trees are located within 200 feet of major evacuation corridors and within 200 feet of structures. Since funding is limited, and not sufficient to remove all the potentially dangerous trees in the area, residents must respond to the request to entry letter by the deadline shown.

This is a one-time opportunity to have the trees removed free. According to the letter, "If you fail to participate in the program now, you might leave hazardous dead, dying or diseased trees on your property. If the appropriate agency identifies your trees as a hazard at a later date, you will be required
to remove the trees at your own expense."

The county is hiring private contractors, who must go through the normal bidding process, to do the work. They must be licensed, insured and qualified tree removal specialists. According to Oberbauer, "Contractors will be responsible for removal of logs and clean-up; wood will be used for lumber and fencing material while smaller pieces may be chipped and made available to residents for ground cover. "All wood cut under this program becomes the property of the County, according to the letter. Contractors may cut the felled trees on your property or parcel the wood into firewood; some free firewood may be available as a result of this program in designated locations. This program does not provide for brush removal.

"Trees along evacuation routes will be removed first," according to Oberbauer. Then work will proceed to protect dwellings.

Julian is one of three back-country areas targeted in this tree removal program. The others are Palomar Mountain, where the work is already underway, and Lost Valley.

For additional information, call the hotline at (866) 402-6044 or visit www.sdcdpw.org/tree.