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Next Steps For Homeowners

1. Soil stabilization: If you haven’t already, you need to address this now before we get the next big winter storm. When soils burn, they lose their ability to soak up precipitation and this leads to water run-off, mudslides and will disrupt healthy and dead trees alike. Contact Sierra RCD here  for a free property assessment on how to best do this.

2. Contact a Registered Professional Forester (RPF) or a Licensed Timber Operator (LTO) (links below) to assess what trees on your property will need to be removed and what you can potentially sell as a “merchantable” tree. LTOs are qualified to fell and remove merchantable and non merchantable trees, but should be able to subsidize some or all of the cost of removing merchantable trees by selling them to a sawmill. The homeowner will need to file an exemption with CalFIRE prior to removal. Fresno County is offering a free assessment of fire damaged trees by a RPF. The purpose is to help homeowners determine what trees are dead or dying and which can safely be left to help the reforestation of your property. You can sign up for this program by emailing: forester@fresnocountyca.gov

3. Have a LTO fell any trees on your property that are an immediate threat to life or property. CalRecycle has awarded a contract for hazard tree removal in the Creek Fire Burn scar. Crews are currently marking trees in our area for removal, but it is unclear at this time if they will be removing trees around homes or not. 

4. Apply for grant funds to help with the cost of tree and brush removal. There are multiple links below for grants to address the state responsibility area around your home as well your acreage. 

5. Contact the Resiliency Fund here for free or low cost seedlings to replant!

6. Continue to clear brush and thin natural reproduction of trees in the coming years to prevent crowding. Your property is a blank slate: build it back up into a healthy forest that will prevent this disaster from occurring again.