$5,000 Available for Wildfire Preparation!

The Diablo Firesafe Council provides matching funds to groups of homeowners, as well as community groups for fuel reduction. Funds are available to help with clearing brush and other hazard-reduction work. Get information and applications at www.DiabloFiresafe.org.

CAL FIRE Needs to Hear from You!

CAL FIRE is partnering with the California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection to develop a new 0–5-foot defensible space zone for wildfire resilience. They need to hear from residents and business owners to help inform implementation of these new science-driven defensible space standards.
Complete the survey now before it closes Wednesday, April 5.

Firewise Landscaping Webinar

Spring is officially here, which means planting, weeding, and clearing yards and gardens. A new UC Master Gardener webinar will help you create beautiful landscapes that also protect your home.

Master Gardener Hedwig Van Den Broeck and Master Gardener Assistant Steve Danziger provide strategies to incorporate defensible space and home hardening into your planning and planting. Their Firewise Landscaping presentation guides you through selection, placement, and maintenance of plants for both beauty and resilience.

SOD Blitz Begins: Help Fight Sudden Oak Death

Sudden Oak Death (SOD) threatens the survival of tanoak and several oak species in California. SOD is currently found in the wildlands of 15 coastal California counties, from Monterey to Del Norte, and the infestation grows each year. Management options are available to slow the spread, but early detection is crucial.

Phytophthora ramorum, the pathogen that causes SOD, commonly spreads on infected California bay laurel leaves when it rains. Symptomatic bay leaves are often the first sign that SOD has arrived and that oak infections are likely to begin.

You can spot the early signs of infection and slow the spread!

Sign up for the The SOD Blitz Survey Project (sodblitz.org) to sample and report signs of the disease. Your contributions will help with early detection, detailed mapping for treatment, and public education about the disease.

East Bay survey participation at UC Berkeley starts on April 28 and then on May 12 for the larger East Bay. Check the SOD Blitz site for details on these and other survey dates throughout the Bay Area.