Help oppose California Board of Forestry and Fire Prevention (BOF) “Defensible Space overkill” (aka Zone 0). Support science-based fire policy regarding vegetation before the new requirements are finalized. Call your City Councilmember, County Supervisor, and State Senator and Assemblymember and ask them to support science-based and area-specific Zone 0 vegetation regulations. See the comment letter from SFV Audubon at this link, and send your comments to PublicComments@bof.ca.gov. We have a list of Los Angeles City Council phone numbers and a link to find your other elected officials here.
The BOF is in the process of revising ember-resistant zone and structure hardening regulations to improve safety for firefighters and increase survivability of buildings. Information regarding this process, including presentations, the Governor’s executive order requesting rules be finalised in 2025, related legislation, and the draft regulations may be found at this BOF site. The draft regulations impose severe restrictions on most vegetation within 30′ of structures, with draconian limits on plants within 10′. The BOF Zone 0 Committee appears resistent to considering scientific evedience that indicates a one-size-fits-all approach is not appropriate for all regions of the state.
The intent is that the rules will apply to areas within the High and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones based on new proposed Hazard Severity maps released in 2025 by CalFire (Office of the State Fire Marshal). It is important to note that these maps reflect areas that might be subject to embercast under suitable conditions, not actual risk. These maps have expanded Hazard Severity zones into dense urban and suburban tracts, including many communities in our SFV Audubon territory!
It appears that the BOF, in developing the revised rules, is primarily considering parcels which abut the Wild-urban Interface (WUI), which often are relatively large and in coniferous-forested areas. Significantly for Southern California, new Hazard Severity maps extend the severity zones well into densely-developed urban areas with relatively small lots – for example 50’ by 100’, with many buildings within 20’ or less of each other in addition to being less than 30’ from adjoining streets. The consequences of applying the new Zone 0-1-2 rules to such urban areas would lead to catastrophic loss of and irreversible harm to our already dwindling urban tree canopy and ecosystem. This would include street trees, protected trees, and indeed most vegetation from closely-spaced structures. Needless to say, if habitat is eliminated, wildlife including birds will have no home and increased loss of birds will occur.
We will provide updates as this rule-making process continues.
June 20, 2025 by Pat Bates Conservation Committee Co-Chair