The Groves Defensible Space

The project consists of 4 shaded fuel reduction treatments and treatment of emergency access road totaling 9.6acres located in the County owned open space intermixed with The Groves Housing Development in the foothills of the unincorporated community of Orcutt. The project will utilize hand crews to reduce flammable fuel volume by removing dead material, reducing ladder fuels, and selectively thinning standing vegetation. The existing fuel is predominately mature oak woodland with scattered chaparral and stands of Conifers. Mature trees will be limbed and pruned of dead branches. The cut material will be chipped and spread uniformly on site. The shrub dominated areas will be treated with a residual mosaic approach, leaving scattered shrubs and islands of intact formation comprising approximately 30% of the original cover. No mature trees will be removed. No work will occur within 50 feet of a riparian corridor. The project will greatly increase the defensible space around the community and also protect the open space wildland from a fire starting from the surrounding residential developments. The project will also involve maintenance of established emergency access road to the south of the Groves housing development. No heavy equipment is authorized under this document. A query of the National Diversity Database will be performed for each treatment to check for the presence of endangered plants and/or animals. DFW will be consulted for input as necessary. Chips will not be deposited within the standard width of a watercourse or lake protection zone.