Our urban forest, including tree canopy and areas adjoining or infilled with native plant habitat, is under attack from many sources, including mansionization and replacing planted areas with ADUs, lack of funds for planting and maintenance, and failure to enforce laws regarding pruning and removal of trees. An avoidable immediate danger to our urban forest is overreaching and ill-advised tree and shrub removals in an attempt to create defensible space around structures, whether mandated by the insurance industry or governmental agencies. While our area begins recovery from the tragic and devastating wind-driven fires in January of this year, and every effort is made to prevent future occurrences, it is important that solutions be evidence-based, ecologically sound and not harm the environment unnecessarily.
San Fernando Valley Audubon Society (SFVAS) recognizes that habitat created by our urban forest and adjacent chaparral and oak woodlands is crucial for support and wellbeing of our native wildlife and humans alike. Further, the urban forest is critically important for our birds – see An Urban Forest for the Birds (Travis Longcore, PhD). We will oppose or recommend re-examination of ill-advised rulemaking.
This article first addresses a Los Angeles City Council Resolution CF 25-0002-S17, asking the City Council to “Adopt Resolution (Lee – Park) to include in the City’s 2025-2026 State Legislative Program SUPPORT for and/or SPONSORSHIP of legislation which would amend Public Resources Code Section 4291 and Government Code Section 51182 to require that the Mountains and Recreation Conservation Authority (MRCA) clear brush, flammable vegetation, or other combustible material within 700 feet of structures or buildings within the City’s Moderate, High, and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones, whether those structures are on MRCA land or adjoining properties, unless the Fire Chief has determined this level of clearance is not required in a particular area”.
Defensible space is the area around a home where vegetation and other flammable materials are managed to reduce the risk of wildfire ignition and spread. Studies done after past fires in our area have found that expanding defensible space vegetative clearance beyond 100’ has no effect and further that 60% of vegetation can be retained in much of the area beyond 5’ of the structure. Further, removing all native vegetation from a 700’ radius would cause profusion of highly flammable invasive grasses and mustard. The excellent report “Los Angeles does not need 700’ of defensible space” by urban ecologist Dr. Travis Longcore provides and references scientific evidence based on past fires leading to the above conclusions. The SFVAS opposes Resolution CF 25-0002-S17 unless provision is made for re-evaluating the extent of clearance and implementing a requirement that any contractor removing vegetation be supervised to avoid indiscriminate removal of native shrubs and trees.
On the state level, the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection has formulated draft “Zone 0-1-2” regulations which would remove habitat from wide swaths of our urban region, with devastating consequences for wildlife. California measure AB 3074 (Friedman, 2020) describes guidelines for vegetative and combustible item management in various zones surrounding dwellings. The legislation states that the guidance document shall include, but not be limited to, regionally appropriate vegetation management suggestions that preserve and restore native species that are fire resistant or drought tolerant, or both, minimize erosion, minimize water consumption, and permit trees near homes for shade, aesthetics, and habitat. Governor Newsome on February 6, 2025 issued Executive Order N-18-2025 directing that “Zone 0” regulations be presented for public input. The proposed requirements and presentations may be found on the Board of Forestry and Fire Prevention site.
It appears that the proposed guidelines would result in draconian limits to vegetation within 30’ of residences, which in many of our urban areas is the entire property. This would leave large swaths of land in our fire zone communities denuded and incapable of supporting birds or indeed, any wildlife. They would be hotter, with worse air quality and ugly. The draft regulations are open for public comment by email to PublicComments@bof.ca.gov, referencing Defensible Space Zone 0-1-2. SFVAS will comment requesting that the draft regulations be re-evaluated using scientific peer-reviewed evidence to consider lot sizes, types of plants and alternative requirements including keeping plants hydrated and well-maintained and home hardening.