What is Marin Wildfire's Approach to Vegetation Management?
Marin Wildfire takes a house-out approach to risk reduction. This work includes home hardening and defensible space inspections; projects, programs, and grants to help residents harden homes and create defensible space; evacuation and alert planning; and public education. One other tool available for reducing wildfire risk is vegetation management in key locations to reduce unnatural levels of fuel loading. A century of wildfire suppression activities, elimination of frequent and low intensity fire (outlawing cultural burning as a traditional Indigenous practice), expansion of human settlement, introduction of nonnative invasive plants, and climate change have altered the vegetation in our region.
"The removal of natural fire from an ecosystem can lead to excess fuel buildup and changes in vegetation composition, which can increase the risk of uncharacteristically large high-severity fires," according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Marin Wildfire and its partners agree that vegetation management (and return of beneficial fire where feasible) is one of the many important tools needed to help our region adapt to a future with more severe wildfire.
The photos to the right show removal of nonnative Black Acacia trees while leaving native trees, such as oaks, in place, along with a snag (dead tree) for wildlife habitat.
CLICK HERE for more information on Marin Wildfire's approach to vegetation management for reducing wildfire risk.
What Kind of Work is Typical of a Vegetation Management Project?
Most work is done using hand crews and hand tools and consist of some or all of the following activities:
- removal of dead and down woody material;
- thinning of nonnative, invasive, fire hazardous vegetation (particularly French broom and other broom species);
- limbing up of native and nonnative trees; and
- thinning of fire hazardous native vegetation where necessary.
Most vegetation management projects aim to leave an intact native tree canopy and a native understory with increased spacing between surface fuels and tree branches. Most projects include the use of small hand crews using hand tools while some include mechanical equipment, goat grazing, pile burning, broadcast burning, targeted herbicide use or other fuel management techniques as appropriate. Marin Wildfire assists member agencies during project planning and implementation for core projects to ensure compliance with local, state, and federal environmental laws and regulations.
How Does Vegetation Management Help Reduce Risk?
CLICK HERE to see recent case studies from CAL FIRE describing the role of vegetation management projects in recent fire suppression efforts.
CLICK HERE for a short video explaining how vegetation management alters wildfire behavior.
CLICK HERE for more resources on the science behind our work.
What Vegetation Management Activities are Marin Wildfire and its Member Agencies Doing?
CLICK HERE to view an interactive dashboard showing progress that Measure C funded vegetation management projects are making to reduce wildfire risk.
CLICK HERE to view a general map of approved vegetation management projects funded by Measure C including brief project descriptions and photos.
CLICK HERE to see photos of a typical shaded fuel break in which dense stands of nonnative invasive French broom are removed from the understory and native plants and trees remain.
CLICK HERE to read more about French broom and why removing it improves habitat and reduces fire risk.
CLICK HERE to learn about how you can help maintain treated areas on your property.
Continue reading below for more information on the types of vegetation management activities that are taking place and links to project webpages for additional details.
Marin Wildfire and its member agencies manage vegetation to reduce wildfire hazards to communities and incorporate ecologically sound practices into these projects and programs to protect and enhance native biodiversity. Projects and programs are designed to reduce hazards and achieve measurable fuel reduction as outlined in the Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) and provide funding for specific local wildfire mitigation projects within each member’s service area. Projects are also identified in Marin Wildfire's annual Work Plans.
Vegetation management projects vary depending on fire risk, proximity to communities and roads, vegetation type, topography, land management agency stewardship goals, potential for sensitive resources to be onsite, and other factors. Member agencies, Marin Wildfire staff, and project partners work together to fine tune projects and determine the best approach.
The projects featured on the Marin Wildfire website are cross-jurisdictional projects known as "Core Projects" (60% of Marin Wildfire's budget) as well as Defensible Space and Home Hardening projects (20% of Marin Wildfire's budget). The remaining 20% of the budget goes to member agencies for Local Wildfire Prevention Mitigation projects (Local). See member agency websites or Marin Wildfire's annual Work Plans for specific project details for Local projects. In addition to project planning and environmental compliance, Marin Wildfire also helps fund positions and equipment to implement these projects and modeling and data collection to track projects and measure their effectiveness.
