Keeping Your Home and Property Safe from Wildfire

A Defensible Space and Fuel Reduction Guide for Homeowners and Landowners

Two important steps in creating defensible space are:

• Landscaping with fire-resistant plants.
• Reducing flammable vegetation and other fuels around the home.

Also, take steps to make the home itself more resistant to fire, such as:

• Screen attic and foundations vents to prevent entry of embers. Also known as firebrands, embers are burning pieces of wood flying through the air.
• Use fire-resistant roofing, decking, and siding.
• Screen undersides of decks to keep out embers.
• Regularly remove leaves and pine needles from gutters.
• Remove brush and grass around outbuildings.

Maintain your defensible space!

Defensible space and wildland fuel treatments must be regularly maintained to remain effective. Vegetation grows back! Fresh-cut hardwood trees resprout rapidly after cutting, and shrubs like manzanita, bitterbrush, and poison oak often regrow in cleared areas, along with invasive weeds such as cheatgrass, blackberries, and Scotch broom. All this brush and grass quickly becomes new fuel for a wildfire.

Also, small trees and brush often die, limbs die back, and dead material begins to accumulate on the ground, on roofs, and in gutters. Without on-going attention to regrowth of vegetation and accumulating dead materials, the home protection benefits of defensible space will soon (5 to 10 years) be lost. However, the good news is that most maintenance tasks can be easily accomplished by the average homeowner and don’t require a lot of time or money.

Regular maintenance is important

Fuels reduction zones

In the following pages, we talk about fuels reduction zones 1-3. Think of these as concentric circles around your house. Zone 1 extends from the house itself out to 30 feet. Zone 2 extends from 30 feet out to 100 feet (or more on steeper slopes). And Zone 3 is the area beyond Zone 2 that extends out to the property line. How you landscape and maintain the vegetation in these zones will have a big influence on the survival of your home in a wildfire.

Zone 1. Lean, Clean, and Green area

The portion of your property at least 30 feet from the home should be Lean, Clean, and Green. Lean means that fire-prone, flammable vegetation is discouraged within 30 feet of the house, and vegetation in general is maintained at a low density. Clean means there is no accumulation of dead vegetation or flammable debris within this area. Green means that plants are kept healthy, green, and sufficiently watered during fire season. For most homeowners, the Lean, Clean, and Green area is the residential landscape. This zone often has irrigation, contains ornamental plants, and should be maintained annually.

• Trim back fire-resistant shrubs.
• Prune mature trees to at least 10 feet.
• Remove dead plant material such as leaves, needles, and twigs.
• Replace flammable plants with fire-resistant plants.
• Keep grass watered (green) and mowed to 4 inches.

Zone 2. Outer defensible space

This area extends from the 30 foot “Lean, Clean and Green” area out to at least 100 feet, and up to 200 feet on steeper slopes with thicker vegetation. It usually lies beyond the residential landscape and often consists of naturally occurring plants such as conifer and hardwood trees, brush, weeds, and grass.

Annual maintenance tasks in this zone

• Remove dead fine vegetation, including dead shrubs, fallen branches, thick accumulations of needles and leaves, etc.
• Before fire season, mow grass to 4 inches or less in height.

Longer-term maintenance tasks

Do the following every few years, or on a portion of the area every year, so that the entire area is treated within a 5- to 8- year timespan:

• Thin out dense patches of trees and shrubs to create separation between them in order to slow the spread of fire. If you want to keep a particular small dense clump or patch of trees and shrubs for a visual screen, clear out 5 to 10 feet around it, creating an island and ensuring that you are breaking up the continuity of fuels.
• Reduce ladder fuels by removing low tree branches and shrubs growing directly under trees.
• Remove invasive weeds such as blackberries, cheatgrass, and Scotch broom.

Zone 3. Wildland fuel reduction area

Some properties extend beyond the home’s defensible space. Fuels reduction is appropriate here too, but doesn’t need to be as intensive as inside the defensible space area/zone. The overall goal is to break up fuel and vegetation continuity (create spaces between plants so that fire has less chance to sustain itself). This zone should be maintained every few years, or a portion should be treated every year.

Thin out dense patches of trees and shrubs to create separation between them. If you want to keep a particular dense clump or patch of trees and shrubs for a visual screen or wildlife habitat, clear out 5 to 10 feet around it to ensure you break up the continuity of fuels.

• Reduce "ladder fuels" such as smaller trees and brush growing under larger trees, and lower tree limbs.
• Reduce heavy accumulations of woody material (dead branches and twings, slash, etc.)
• It's fine to leave some brush patches, downed logs, and dead trees for habitat and soil benefits.

Seasonal guide — winter tasks

Winter is often the best time to thin, prune, trim back vegetation, and dispose of woody material and vegetation. Below are some important winter maintenance tasks for your fuel reduction zones.

Thin out overly dense patches of trees and shrubs, and retain larger, healthier trees. Remove all dead or dying trees and some of the less vigorous or suppressed trees. Thinning increases separation between tree crowns which helps to reduce tree-to-tree spread of fire. Healthy, well-spaced trees are also more fire-resistant and less susceptible to insects and disease.

Remove flammable brush and weeds from your home’s defensible space (Zone 2). Understory brush and weeds can act as ladder fuels—vegetation that allows fire to climb from the ground up into the tree canopy. Remove or prune ladder fuels in winter to early spring.

Prune limbs of mature trees up at least 10 feet above the ground. Smaller trees can also be pruned, but remove only a third of the live branches at any one time.

As the tree gets older and taller, it can be pruned again, raising its crown. Fall and winter are the best times to prune conifer trees; hardwoods are best pruned in spring. Be careful not to damage the branch collar.

A properly maintained driveway is essential for providing a safe access and escape route for your home. If firefighters can’t see down your driveway, they will not enter.

Check your driveway each winter for encroaching brush or overhanging tree limbs. Strive for at least 13.5 feet of vertical clearance and trim brush back 10 feet or more from the edge of the driveway. Make sure your address signs can be seen so emergency responders can find you!

Seasonal guide — spring and early summer tasks

While winter is often the best time to complete “heavy duty” maintenance tasks, there is a lot you can do in spring prior to fire season, and even during fire season.

Clear all flammable debris from the roof, gutters, and around your home. Tree litter (needles, leaves) on or around your home is highly flammable and easily ignited by airborne embers. Mow or weed-whack grass around barns and other outbuildings.

Check your roof and gutters at least twice annually, fall and spring; remove any flammable debris (nearby madrone trees, which lose their leaves in early summer, necessitate removal during summer too). Rake leaves and needles away from your home, decks, and outbuildings. Also, screen the underside of your deck.

During summer, never store flammable materials near your home. Flammable items such as firewood and even patio furniture are easily ignited by airborne burning embers. Move all firewood piles at least 30 feet away from all structures in the spring. During fire season, things like gas grills and patio furniture cushions are especially susceptible to embers and should be stored indoors when not in use.

Remove highly flammable plants such as juniper and replace with attractive, fire-resistant plants. There are a variety of ground covers, flowers, and even trees and shrubs to choose from. Both native species and ornamentals can be used.

Keep grass and weeds mowed to less than 4 inches in height. Dry grass and weeds are very hot, flashy fuels that ignite easily and spread quickly. Flames can be three times the height of the grass. Mow or weed-whack vegetation near barns and other outbuildings, around vehicles, RVs, fences, along roadways, and under power lines.

Avoid grass fires by mowing before fire season when grasses are still green. Mowing in the spring will also reduce the chance of weeds maturing and spreading viable seed. During fire season, restrict mowing to early morning hours. However, mowing may be prohibited entirely under extreme conditions; check with your local fire district for current restrictions.

Spring checklist: Mark your progress

• Have leaves or pine needles accumulated on your roof, in gutters, on or under decks, or on the ground right next to your home? Time to get out the ladder, leaf blower or rake!
• Have you moved firewood piles left over from winter at least 30 feet from your home? Cover them if possible.
• Have you replaced flammable groundcover near your home with fire-resistant landscaping?
• Have grasses and weeds grown up tall over the spring? Keep them mowed to 4 inches or less.
• Have weeds or grass grown up around electrical fences? Clear flammable material away from the fence to prevent a ground fire from igniting.
• Is your line tester functioning on your electric fence? Prevent a grass fire by inspecting the tester and all fence connections for shorts.
• Are flammable household items such as patio furniture pads, doormats and mops sitting near the home? Cover or move these items inside if a wildfire is near.
• Will you be prepared if a fire comes? Make sure you have a family emergency preparedness plan and evacuation kit. Discuss home evacuation plans and routes with family members. Include pets and livestock in the plan. Practice the plan with family members.

Zone 1 (0 to 30 feet)— This zone should have the highest priority for fuel reduction and creating defensible space. In this zone, you can provide or create food and water sources for wildlife. Wildlife considerations may include use of fire-resistant plants as food sources and providing water features.

Zone 2 (30 to 100 feet)— Leave a limited amount of shrub cover in patches but avoid leaving patches under trees as you don’t want to create ladder fuels.

A few downed logs can be left, but there shouldn’t be any snags in this zone. Plant or retain hardwoods that provide food sources, like oak, cherry, and others that are also fireresistant. Leave deciduous shrubs for food and cover that have a higher moisture content, such as oceanspray.

Zone 3 (100+ feet)—Leave some shrub patches and downed logs. Snags also may be left, but be aware that if they ignite, they could create a hazard by spewing embers across your property. If you own several to tens of acres or more, you can leave a few snags per acre without greatly increasing the fire risk.

For more information:

Wildlife-friendly Fuels Reduction in Dry Forests of the Pacific Northwest, Woodland Fish and Wildlife Group.

Tools and techniques for fuels maintenance

Preventative management

Most plants grow fastest in full sun. Fuels reduction treatments help reduce the regrowth of young vegetation by decreasing the density of trees and removing ladder fuels. It is important to retain a canopy, however, so unwanted vegetation will grow slower and/or be shaded out.

Weed germination can be reduced by covering bare ground with organic materials such as leaves, wood chips, or bark, but use these materials sparingly within 30 feet of the home, and not at all in the non-combustible area within 5 feet of the home. Weed infestations can also be reduced by removing weeds before or at time of flower to prevent seed dispersal.

When removing invasive weeds such as cheatgrass or Himalayan blackberry, it’s important to replace the weeds with something else, perhaps a fire-resistant native grass or shrub. Otherwise the site may simply be reinvaded by the same or a different group of weeds.

Pruning/limbing

Removing the lower limbs of trees reduces fuel ladders that can carry flames from the ground into the tree canopy. Mature trees can be pruned up to 10 feet or so; younger or smaller trees can also be limbed up, leaving upper two thirds of the tree with a live green crown.

Shrubs such as manzanita can be very flammable if in a decadent state, but can be relatively fire-resistant when regularly maintained by pruning.

Chemical

Herbicides control brush and weeds and can be combined with other treatments, such as cutting. Herbicides can control invasive species. Small amounts provide effective control. Follow label directions. Apply herbicides with a backpack or hand-held sprayer. Dead plants should be removed.

Plant selection and maintenance

Controlling brush and weeds is an important part of your defensible space and wildland fuels-reduction maintenance program. Native shrubs like manzanita, bitterbrush, and sagebrush are fire-prone and burn hot. Invasive weeds such as Scotch broom and blackberry are also very flammable. Young sprouts grow quickly from the stumps of cut hardwood trees such as madrone and oaks. While large, mature hardwoods are usually resistant to fire, sprouts can quickly become new ladder fuels. This part of the publication provides tips for managing common brush and weed species to reduce the risk of fire to your home and property.

In Zone 1: Landscape with fire-resistant plants and remove flammable plants

Fire-resistant plants are not easily ignited by an ember or flame. They tend to have moist and supple leaves, don’t accumulate much dead or dry material within the plant, and have low sap or resin content. Many native plants as well as many commonly planted ornamentals are relatively fire-resistant. In contrast, highly flammable plants tend to accumulate fine, dry or dead material within the plant, may have loose or papery bark, and often have contain volatile waxes, terpenes, or oils in their leaves, twigs and stems.

Examples of flammable plants include:

• Western juniper and ornmamental juniper shrubs
• Cypress (Leyland, Italian, etc.)
• Scotch broom, gorse, and blackberry (non-native invasive shrubs)
• Many manzanita and ceanothus species (native shrubs)
• Bitterbrush and sagebrush (native shrub species)
• Cheat grass, false brome, and European beach grass (non-native grasses)

Within the Lean, Clean, and Green area

Highly flammable plants such as juniper should be removed when they are within 30 feet of your home, and from a greater distance on steeper slopes. Fire-resistant plants can be located in this 30-foot zone, but these plants should be sufficiently watered and trimmed back, with all dead material (leaves, needles, or twigs) routinely removed. Create at least 10 feet of separation between the canopies of individual and small patches of fire-resistant trees and shrubs located within this zone. Planting ornamental hardwood trees (aspen, maples, etc.) within this zone can help protect homes from wildfire by blocking radiant heat directed at the home.

Plant management guides

While all plants can burn under the right conditions, the following pages contain information about how to manage plant species that can be especially problematic in fire-prone areas. Poison oak is also covered. While not a serious fuels issue, poison oak is a common annoyance in woody areas surrounding the home and can affect your ability to work around your property

Grasses

Grasses allow fire to spread quickly. Cheatgrass is a problematic, non-native species in central and eastern Oregon. European beach grass is a flammable, non-native species on the Oregon Coast. False brome is an invasive species in some forests in the Willamette Valley.

Shrubs

Most native shrub species are relatively low in flammability because they tend to have moist and supple leaves, don’t accumulate much dead or dry material within the plant, and have low sap or resin content. However, some species, such as sagebrush, manzanita and bitterbrush can pose more of a fire hazard. Native shrubs, especially more flammable species, are not recommended for the 30-foot Lean, Clean, and Green zone (Zone 1) surrounding the homesite.

Invasive species such as Scotch broom and Himalayan blackberry introduced to Oregon thrive and spread rapidly. Many of these plants highly flammable and pose ecological problems when they out-compete native vegetation. Eradicate invasive plants or substantially reduce them whenever possible.

Hardwood trees

Most hardwood tree species have thin bark and are more easily top-killed by fire than conifers. Hardwood trees sprout back quickly after fire or cutting. Because of their high foliage moisture content and other characteristics, hardwoods are generally less flammable than conifers. Larger, mature hardwood trees are relatively fire resistant and usually wellsuited for both defensible space and wildland fuels-reduction areas. Oaks in particular have thicker bark and are less likely to be killed by light surface fires than madrone and other hardwood species. However, small hardwood seedlings or saplings, or hardwood trees that have been cut and have resprouted, can serve as ladder fuels. Young sprouts can be cut back to stump level. Sometimes it’s better not to cut the tree to avoid the need for sprout maintenance.

Best management practices: Scotch broom and gorse

Preventative management

Prevent Scotch broom and gorse infestations. Don’t disturb the ground where these species pose a threat. If ground is disturbed, quickly revegetate disturbed areas with fast-growing native vegetation. Shading out gorse and Scotch broom with native trees and shrubs can aid in long-term preventative management. Scotch broom seedlings should be pulled before seeds have developed. Clean mechanical equipment of seed before using on other sites.

Hand treatment

Effective for small areas and when the plants are small. Individual large plants can be removed using a weed-pulling tool. Young plants may be pulled by hand or removed by shovel. Failure to remove the root system will encourage resprouting. Pulling may disturb the soil, encouraging seed germination and requiring later retreatment. When possible, begin hand treatments prior to seeding. If seeds have already been produced, wrap seed pods tightly in plastic bags to reduce seed spread during removal. Young plants will generally resprout when cut with hand tools such as loppers. Older plants with a base stem diameter of 2 inches or more and no longer green may be killed if cut in late summer. It is very difficult to hand pull gorse plants due to their spines.

Mechanical

Mowing or cutting generally results in resprouting. Some older or less vigorous plants may be killed, but new seedlings will germinate, requiring retreatment. Multiple mowings or mastication treatments may reduce plant reserves, the seed bank, and the overall density of plants.

Chemical

Potential treatments include foliar, cut stump, and basal applications with triclopyr or glyphosate. Dead plants are fuel and should be removed after the herbicide has taken effect. New seedlings may germinate from seed stored in the soil, requiring retreatment.

Prescribed burning

Not recommended. Dangerous. Both species are very flammable due to the oils and resins in the bark and leaves.

Grazing

Goats can graze small gorse seedlings or sprouts if foliage is tender. On mature shrubs, goats will graze only branch tips. Continual grazing in an area reduces the number of plants and seed production, but eradication requires combining grazing with mechanical and/or chemical control measures. Grazing is not recommended for Scotch broom as it is toxic to livestock in large quantities.

Himalayan blackberry (Rubus armeniacus)

Plant identification and quick facts

• 5 leaflets per leaf; canes have thorns; are ribbed and square in cross-section.
• Thickets often reach 6 feet or more in height; brambles (canes) can grow 3 feet or more in length in one season.
• Spreads via underground burls, runners, and tip-rooting from canes; quickly occupies disturbed areas.
• Less vigorous in shade; can’t survive in deep shade.
• Flammable due in part to accumulation of dead material in thickets; burns well in winter.
• Fuel reduction objective: Eliminate when possible.

Best management practices: blackberry

Preventative management

Himalayan blackberry quickly occupies cleared or disturbed areas. Don’t delay in planting or seeding such sites with fast-growing native vegetation. Heavy shade reduces the vigor of existing plants and prevents new plants from establishing.

Hand treatment

Effective for small patches. A spade, Pulaski, grub hoe, or similar tool can be used to uproot blackberry plants. The more of the root system that is removed, the less resprouting there will be. This is hard work. Grubbing blackberry plants will disturb the soil, encouraging germination of other weeds, so it’s easy to replace one weed problem with another. To minimize this, maintain organic matter on the soil surface to reduce weed germination (as long as it doesn’t pose a fuel hazard) and/or replace with fast-growing native vegetation.

Mechanical

Not effective as a stand-alone treatment. Cutting and mowing blackberry usually will not eliminate the plants because they resprout vigorously from their well-established root system. If they are cut down to ground level frequently (several times a season) over several years, they may be significantly reduced. Mowing produces a heavy mulch which can help suppress other weeds.

Chemical

Effective when done correctly and combined with mowing. Glyphosate and triclopyr are suitable herbicides. Late-summer-to-fall treatments give best results, depending on the product. Dead plants are fuel and should be removed.

Prescribed burning

Not recommended. Blackberry resprouts vigorously after fire.

Grazing

Partially effective. Goats will eat blackberry leaves and green canes, and limited amounts of dry woody material. They are most effective at suppressing resprouting blackberry that has been cut or mowed. Over time, they can reduce and even eliminate patches of blackberry. Goats require supervision and maintenance. They will also eat desirable native vegetation.

Best management practices: manzanita

Preventative management

Manzanita does not grow well in the deep shade. As a result, planting or maintaining trees to shade an area is an effective long-term strategy to reduce establishment of new manzanita plants.

Hand treatment

Effective, but retreatment may be required. Dead branches can be removed with handsaws, loppers or chainsaws. To remove small plants, use a shovel or grub hoe in moist soils. This is labor intensive. A brushcutter will efficiently mow down many small plants. For larger plants, use a chainsaw to cut to a low stump. Whiteleaf manzanita does not sprout back; however, many other manzanita species do. While hand treatments are effective at removing and killing plants, new manzanita plants regenerate rapidly from seed stored in the soil. An area cleared of manzanita can be reoccupied by young plants in a few years.

Mechanical

Effective, but retreatment may be required. A variety of machinery, including walk-behind mowers, brush mulchers mounted on skid-steers, and excavator-mounted slashbusters will masticate manzanita and thin out dense brushfields. This equipment is suited to large projects but not defensible space treatments.

Chemical

Triclopyr and 2,4-D can be effective. Dead plants are fuels and should be removed after the herbicide has taken effect. New seedlings may germinate from seed stored in soil, requiring retreatment.

Prescribed burning

Not recommended. For reasons described above, this method is not well suited to most private parcels. Burning kills mature plants, but young plants germinate readily in recently burned areas.

Grazing

Partially effective. Cattle and sheep are not recommended. Goats can be used to suppress manzanita and other woody brush. They are more inclined to browse younger sprouts than older plants; therefore, they are most effective on resprouts or young plants that grow back following an initial hand or mechanical treatment.

Best management practices: Poison oak

Preventative management

Found all over low elevation in western Oregon and difficult to prevent. Growth and regeneration and reduced in heavy shade.

Hand treatment

Effective for small patches. A spade, Pulaski, grub hoe, or similar tool can be used to uproot poison oak plants, but the root system is extensive. Use caution, as the roots and stems also contain the oil that produced the allergic reaction in most people.

Mechanical

Not effective. Cutting and mowing poison oak will not eliminate the plants because they resprout vigorously from their well-established root system. If they are cut down to ground level frequently (several times a season) over several years, they may be depleted.

Chemical

Very effective when done correctly. Often combined with mowing. Suitable herbicides include glyphosate and triclopyr applied during mid to late summer. Dead plants are fuel and should be removed after the herbicide has taken effect.

Prescribed burning

Not recommended. Poison oak resprouts vigorously after fire. Avoid placing poison oak in burn piles; smoke can be very harmful if inhaled.

Grazing

Partially effective. Goats will eat poison oak leaves and green stems. They are most effective with resprouting poison oak that has been cut or mowed. Over time, they can reduce and even eliminate patches of poison oak. Goats require supervision and maintenance. They will also eat desirable native vegetation.

Ceanothus (includes blueblossom, snowbrush, deerbrush, and buckbrush)

Plant identification and quick facts

• In Oregon, Ceanothus is found in both the eastern and western areas of the state. Blue blossom (Ceanothus thyrsiflorus) is the most familiar in the western reaches, while Snowbrush (Ceanothus velutinus) is the most familiar to the east.
• Ceanothus is an evergreen shrub. Flowers are small, showy en masse, and the color ranges form white through many shades of blue to deep violet.
• Most plants in the Ceanothus genus have the ability to fix nitrogen via a symbiotic association with root-inhibiting microbes (actinomycetes).
• Twigs and leaves contain flammable waxes, oils, and terpenes, making the plant very flammable.
• Some species will stump sprout after fire, and seeds lying dormant in the soil will germinate with fire.
• Fuel reduction objective: Within the defensible space, keep individual plants trimmed back, with no dead material, and separate plants trimmed back, with no dead material, and separate plants. Within the wildlands fuels reduction zone, break up contiguous brushfields, and retain some ceanothus patches for wildlife.

Best management practices: ceanothus

Preventative management

Found in both western and eastern Oregon. Seeds lay dormant in the soil and can germinate hundreds of years later after fire. Most species prefer full sun and do not like heavy shade, so planting taller shrubs and trees to shade Ceanothus out may prove effective.

Hand treatment

Effective. A spade, Pulaski, grub hoe, or similar tool can be used to uproot Ceanothus plants, but the root system is extensive.

Mechanical

Not effective. Cutting and mowing of Ceanothus usually will not eliminate the plants because they resprout vigorously from their well-established root system.

Chemical

Very effective when done correctly. Suitable herbicides include glyphosate and triclopyr. Timing is important. Dead plants are fuel and should be removed after the herbicide has taken effect.

Prescribed burning

Not recommended. Ceanothus resprouts after fire, and seeds lay dormant in the soil and germinate with fire.

Grazing

Partially effective, sheep and goats will eat Ceanothus leaves and green stems. Livestock requires supervision and maintenance. They will also eat desirable native vegetation.

Recommended tools

Shovel/grub hoe

Dig out shrub including the main root ball.

Backpack sprayer

Used for applying herbicides. Consults your local Extension office or pesticide applicator professional for further information on chemical treatments.

Brushcutter, chain saw or heavy-duty mower

Can be used to cut shrubs down.

Best management practices: bitterbrush and big sagebrush

Preventative manangement

Remove shrubs as they germinate and are small.

Hand treatment

Hand grubbing with a hazel hoe is effective. A brushcutter works well reducing these shrubs near buildings. Bitterbrush will need to be recut in a few years.

Mechanical

For large areas in Zones 3 and 4, a 4-wheel-drive tractor with a mower or brush-hog will reduce these shrubs. The area may need to be retreated in 5 to 8 years.

Chemical

To control sagebrush, 2,4-D works well when applied in the spring and won’t harm grasses. Glyphosate can be used to control bitterbrush. Timing and application procedure are very important for good control. Remove dead plants.

Prescribed burning

Prescribed burning is effective. Use fire in Zone 3 only. Be aware of risks and liability associated with using fire on private land. Contact the Oregon Department of Forestry for more information on prescribed burning.

Grazing

Grazing is not effective or practical.

Best management practices: hardwood

Preventative management

Heavy shade will suppress the growth of oak trees, especially mature trees. Surrounding conifers often shade oaks out, eventually overtopping and killing them. Young oak sprouts are more shade tolerant. To prevent sprouting, leave trees uncut.

Hand treatment

Effective short term control, but retreatment will be required. Loppers and handsaws may be used to remove re-sprouts. With effort, handsaws may be used to remove dead or dense limbs. Brush cutters are effective at removing small clusters of sprouts and loppers for spot treatments. To discourage additional re-sprouts, consider removing all but 1 to 2 dominant sprouts. The dominant sprouts will more easily develop into mature, more fire resistant trees. Chainsaws may be used to fell larger madrone and oak trees, but may result in resprout growth that adds ladder fuels to your property.

Mechanical

Not effective. Mechanized equipment is ineffective at removing whole trees and are inefficient at removing young resprouts.

Chemical

Effective when done correctly. Hack and squirt, where one or more cuts are made in the tree and a small quantity of concentrated herbicide is applied, is effective at killing standing trees. Cut stump treatments can reduce or eliminate re-sprouting. Dead plants are fuel and should be removed after the herbicide has taken effect.

Prescribed burning

Not recommended. Technically feasible but logistically difficult. Prescribed fire is effective at killing resprouts with low rates of mortality for large, mature trees, especially thicker-barked oaks. This is usually only an option for large or public landowners.

Grazing

Partially effective. Cattle or sheep are not recommended. Goats may browse oak and madrone stump sprouts, reducing growth. Repeated browsing, like repeated cuttings, may be able to kill the root system.

Invasive grasses

European beach grass (Ammophila arenaria)
Cheatgrass (Bromus tenctorum)
Slender false brome (Brachypodium sylvaticum)

Plant identification and quick facts

European beach grass

• European beach grass is an invasive species that forms a dense cover that thrives on sandy dunes, reducing cover of native vegetation. It spreads almost exclusively by vertical and horizontal rhizomes, and can be washed by ocean currents to spread to new sites.
• European beach grass stems are clumped, stiff, and upright, with thick and waxy leaves that are 12 to 44 inches long with rolled edges and pointed, sharp tips. The outer surface of the leaves are smooth and light green, while the inner surface has ridges and is covered with a whitish coating. European beach grass leaves are narrower, stiffer, and lighter in color than the native beach grass, Leymus mollis.

Cheatgrass

• Cheatgrass is an invasive annual grass 5-16 inches tall that invades disturbed sites, such as roadsides, heavily grazed areas, or areas subject to disturbance mechanical equipment and wildfire. Seeds germinate in the fall and early winter. The grass grows quickly in the spring and produce seed by early summer. Cheatgrass cures (dries out) by mid- to late June, and turns purplish to reddish-brown, and creates a dry fuel bed that is easily ignited and carries fire.
• Stems are round in cross section with sheaths that are closed. Leaves area approximately ¼ inch wide and hairy. Spikelets (seed head) are grouped in a loose open clump, often drooping to one side like a shepherd’s crook. Seeds often get stuck in animal fur and in dogs’ ears. Seeds are easily spread by mechanical equipment, vehicles, animals, and on footwear.

False brome

• A perennial bunchgrass growing in clumps 20-28 inches tall. It has broad, yellow-green leaves with hairs along the edges. Spikelets are not stalked and have a noticeable droop.
• Found in disturbed areas, particularly along roads. It can grow in deep shade but prefers open areas with full sunlight.

Recommended tools

Shovel/grub hoe

Dig out plant including the root mass.

Backpack sprayer

Used for applying herbicides. Consult your local extension office or pesticides application professional for further information on chemical treatments.

Weed-whacker

Can be used to remove the tops of grass plants in an area.

Best management practices: grasses

Preventative management

European beach grass, cheatgrass and false brome

• Don’t use fill material from areas known or suspected to have European beach grass, cheatgrass or false brome plants or seed.
• When using equipment in areas with these grasses, power-wash equipment before and after to prevent spreading it to uninfested areas when the equipment is moved.

Hand treatment

European beach grass

• Effective when done intensely. Successful manual control through weekly to monthly digging from early spring through fall has proven successful in some sites. “Sifting” the sand with rakes to remove rhizome fragments at a depth of 19.5 to 39 inches following digging increases success of digging. Yearly follow up digging may be required.

Cheatgrass

• Use a weed-whacker to cut down plants in spring before they produce seed may reduce cheatgrass spread in small areas. Repeat treatments will be necessary.
• Hand-pulling may be effective in the spring in very small areas.

False brome

• In small areas use a weed-whacker to cut down plants as seed stalks are forming to prevent seed formation and dispersal. Repeat treatments will be necessary.

Mechanical

European beach grass

• Moderately effective. When removed with heavy machinery at a depth of 3.3 feet, moderate resprouting occurs the following spring.

Cheatgrass and false brome

• Not effective

Chemical

European beach grass

• Very effective when done correctly. The most suitable herbicide is glyphosate with a surfactant applied during active growth.

Cheatgrass and false brome

• Very effective when done correctly. There are many suitable herbicides that can be used to control these species in the late spring and early summer. Consult with your local Extension agent for herbicide recommendations.

Prescribed burning

Prescribed burning is not an effective control for European beach grass, false brome or cheatgrass. Burning often increases cheatgrass.

Grazing

Grazing is not effective for controlling European beach grass and false brome.

Cheatgrass may be reduced with intense grazing (high animal numbers, short duration) early in the spring to reduce the production of seed