Monthly Meetings

NWWG meets the third Wednesday of every month from 4:30-6PM at the Navarro River Resource Center. All are welcome! Find Out More

Upcoming Events

Insectary Hedgerows Workshop on Fri, 17 Feb 2012

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Latest "River Notes"

Bird Walk/Survey out on the AV High School Creek Trail

This morning Bill Sterling led two 7th grade Science classes down to the Creek Trail for a Bird Walk/Survey. It was a beautiful mo... Read More

Safe Debris Burning

October 30, 2005

According to the Mendocino County Air Quality Management District, it is now winter burning season. Burning is allowed between the hours of 9am and 3pm only on permissive burn days. The burn forecast recording for Mendocino County is available 24-hours a day at 707-463-4391. It is not legal to burn anything except vegetative matter. A good rule of thumb is if it didn’t grow on your property, you may not burn it.

Burn permits are required for single piles in excess of 4' by 4'. They cost $10 and are available through the Mendocino County Air Quality Management District; the District can be reached at 707-463-4354.

In Mendocino County between 1994 and 2003, 18% of assigned fires were caused by escaped debris fires. The following are measures intended to minimize fire danger health issues and nuisance smoke:

1. Establish a 10-foot clearance from any combustible material.
2. Have shovel and water on hand until the fire is out.
3. Have a responsible adult present.
4. Consider a no-burn option. Composting and chipping may be feasible alternatives. Limbs and other debris may also be piled for wildlife habitat if located where they do not pose a fire hazard.
5. Burn one pile at a time.
6. Check the weather. It may be too windy to burn if trees are swaying, flags are extended, or waves appear on open water. It is not a good idea to burn on a day with a strong inversion because inversions trap pollutants at or near ground level and do not allow them to disperse. An inversion is when a layer of warm air traps a layer of cold air beneath it.

For more information, visit the website http://www.co.mendocino.ca.us/aqmd/. In Humboldt County, you can contact the North Coast Unified for burn information at 707-443-3093.

A portion of this production was gleaned from http://www.dnr.wa.gov/htdocs/rp/stewardship/bfs/WESTERN/safedebrisburning.html

I welcome responses as well as ideas for future Tree Tips. You can also get an email version by contacting me at thembi@mcn.org.

Thembi Borras is a Registered Professional Forester living and working in Mendocino County, CA USA.