2024 FIRE SAFETY WEED ABATEMENT UPDATE

SCHEDULE FOR BRUSH CLEARANCE

Schedule is subject to change.

 Bay Area Tree Specialists is providing fire safety weed abatement / brush clearance services for the City of Palos Verdes Estates (City), and the brush clearance is expected to occur from July through October 2024. The working hours are Monday through Thursday from 7 AM to 7 PM, Friday from 7 AM to 5:30 PM, and Saturday from 9 AM to 5 PM, excluding City observed holidays.

A map showing the weed abatement areas included in the contract with Bay Area Tree Specialists and the month in which each area is scheduled is available in this Map Exhibit. Please check the map to see when the area by your property is scheduled for weed abatement.

If you have any questions about the upcoming weed abatement work, please contact:

Berlyn Pimentel
Engineering Assistant
(310) 750-9821

 SCOPE OF WORK

The purpose of the weed abatement work is to provide a defensible space in the first 20 feet from property lines, and consists of the following:

• All vegetation listed below adjacent to property lines are to be removed in the first 20 feet from the property line starting at 1 foot from the property line.
• All hedges and continuous plants (some plants may be retained if sufficient spacing in between plants or trees can be created by removing trees or plants, such as removing two ficus trees to keep one ficus tree that is part of a hedge).
• All dead and flammable vegetation and trees.
• All invasive plants, weeds and ornamental non-native plants identified as threats to the health and safety of the Parklands.
• Native and ornamental trees and shrubs that are individually planted can be retained provided they are cut back, limbed up and thinned out.

For information on the details of the clearance categories, please refer to the Frequently Asked Questions document.

Please note that weed abatement services differ from landscape maintenance services and are performed by different vendors. Weed abatement services have the goal to complete more of a clearing of an area, such as clearance that is needed to reduce flashy fuels and to create spacing between shrubs and trees and reduce fire risk, and weed abatement services are completed once per year. Alternatively, landscape maintenance services are for more manicured and more detailed areas throughout the City and are completed periodically throughout the year. For more information on landscape maintenance services, please visit the City’s Landscape Maintenance webpage

INFORMATION ON FIRE SAFETY WEED ABATEMENT AND ASSOCIATED REQUIREMENTS

The City is located in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone designated by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and is susceptible to wildfire risks. To mitigate wildfire risks, brush clearance, and fire breaks are necessary to provide defensible space for structures.  To meet this need, the City contracts weed abatement services.

For information on the requirements that the City must adhere to for the weed abatement services, please refer to the Frequently Asked Questions document.

NO PARKING AND CLOSING YOUR WINDOWS

When the brush clearance activities are underway, there may be “No Parking” signs posted on streets indicating the specific dates work will be performed in the Parklands or public paths near your home. Parking restrictions will be posted 48 hours prior to the work being performed. During the time crews are present and the work is being performed, access to paths and Parklands may be limited.

Please help ensure the implementation of the brush clearance activities are successful by observing the following best practices during working hours, which are Monday through Thursday from 7 AM to 7 PM, Friday from 7 AM to 5:30 PM, and Saturday from 9 AM to 5 PM, excluding City observed holidays:

1. On the day of the brush clearance activities, please be sure to remove your vehicle from the street by the posted time on the “No Parking” signs. Observe the date(s) on the signs carefully.
   
   
2. Please keep windows and doors closed to reduce airborne debris entering the home when the work is being performed.