Chipper Days are here!

   The Big Bear City Fire Department is proud to announce Chipper Days for the entire District. If you own property in the upper Moonridge, Big Bear City, Sugarloaf, Erwin Lake, or Lake Williams areas and are receiving this notice, then you are in store for a real treat... FREE Chipping Service. Starting July 1, 2008 through October 1, 2008, crews will be visiting your neighborhood to provide a FREE and CONVENIENT way to dispose of excess vegetation. We hope that you will take advantage of this offer and participate. Your contribution will send a loud message across the Big Bear Valley that neighbor-hoods can work together to CREATE DEFENSIBLE SPACE!

   Please start today. You can begin trimming back, pruning up, limbing up, and thinning out vegetation on your property. Place the cut vegetation curb-side in piles. Once you have a substantial pile, con-tact our office to have the chipper visit your area. We will be mapping and compiling addresses for the Chipper to visit. Be patient, it may take some time to make it to your property.

   While some of you can accomplish defensible space with a little hard work, others may wish to hire a contracting service to trim trees and clear brush. Local landscape contractors and other businesses are available by checking the local telephone books or media sources that might include Internet sites. In either situation, hired or completed by self, place your brush, small trees, and branches at the curb for FREE chipping service.

   Our goal is to remove 60 tons of vegetation by October 1, 2008. Remember, the primary goal is to remove overgrown, dense brush, small trees, limbs, and dead material, vegetation that warrants the use of curbside chipping service. We are also encouraging property cleanup such as weeds, pine needles, leaves, etc. These items can be bagged and placed curbside for Big Bear City Community Services District refuse pick-up during this same time. Lake Williams residents; please contact our office regarding curbside pick-up.

It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3:

1. Create that defensible space, pile your trimmings and waste at curbside.

2. Call our office (909) 585-2362 to be placed on the FREE Chipper visit list.

3. Enjoy your clean, clear property!

Steps to Creating Defensible Space:

• Remove any and all dead vegetation.

• Limb up your trees by removing branches and foliage a minimum of 4’-6’ off the ground.

• Prune and thin overgrown shrubs.

• Selectively thin or remove live foliage to create defined clear space between remaining vegetation. Clear space width should be three times the height of the vegetation selected to remain.

• Remove accumulated pine needles and leaves from underneath bushes and wood decks, then look up and remove the same from roof tops.

• Our chipper cannot accept root balls, branches or trees greater than 8” in diameter. If you have material such as this, please call us for additional in-formation.

• No construction materials; tree-brush type vegetation only.

Selectively thin your pine trees less than 8” in diameter:

• Ideally provide 20’ spacing (trunk to trunk) for pine trees.

• Thin trees that are deformed, crooked, or show evidence of disease.

• Select trees that have grown next to buildings.

• Select trees that have grown under the branches of mature trees.

• Select trees that are under power lines.

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