Ailing Trees Removed from Girl Scout Camp on Palomar Mountain

By Joe Naiman

More than 500 dead, dying and diseased trees were removed from the Girl Scout camp on Palomar Mountain.

The tree removal was completed in June, although some follow-up work remains. The project covered a 37-acre area.

In June 2004, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors established the Fire Safety and Fuels Reduction Program, which aims to monitor community fire risks, reduce fuel loads and prioritize areas for tree and vegetation removal.

Program leaders collaborate with fire agency representatives and other stakeholders, and develop policies and guidelines. They conduct environmental reviews and lead community outreach and education efforts. 

The Forest Area Safety Taskforce joined the county and the Natural Resources Conservation Service, a division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, to determine which trees needed to be removed in the Girl Scout camp area.

Not only do dead, dying, and diseased trees pose a wildfire risk themselves, but they also become a potential breeding ground for the bark beetle, which threatens additional trees, officials said. Many of the trees removed from the Girl Scout camp area were destroyed or damaged by the bark beetle or by past droughts.

In addition to reducing risk of fire and bark beetle damage, the tree-removal program improves the health of nearby watersheds, officials said.

The conservation service contracted with Great Scott Tree Service, which spent four weeks logging, brush thinning, and pruning. Some wood from the removed trees will be used for firewood; other wood might be suitable for fences or for retail after sawmill processing.