APPENDICES - Laserfiche WebLink

program does not compensate for not performing another part. For example, a home with a combustible roof and exterior is still at risk of ignition during a wildfire, even if the property owner removes every tree within 100 feet of the home. Public and private property owners should consider all the wildfire vulnerabilities and all the preparedness steps they can take to protect their properties, including tree maintenance and removal. The LPFD can provide property owners with information and guidance on how to reduce the risk of wildfire for their properties. Tree Maintenance Responsibility Ownership and responsibility for the maintenance of trees within the WUI areas of the City is complex. There are a variety of different property types, both private and public, with different maintenance responsibilities depending on the property types or the improvements built upon them. It is important to recognize that in the WUI areas of the City, the tree maintenance standards do not change depending on who owns the property or who is responsible for tree maintenance. Responsibility for tree maintenance can be organized into the following groups: • Private Property Owner-Single Family Use. This refers to a property designated for the use of a single family, typically a stand-alone structure built on its parcel of land. • Private Property Owner-Single Family Residential-Planned Development Tract, Common Area, Use. This term refers to common areas (e.g., parks, pools, playgrounds, golf courses, etc.) in a housing development owned by the Homeowner's Association (HOA). Common areas in some Planned Unit Development PUDs can include roads and open spaces. • Public Property-Open Space: Refers to areas owned by the City, county, or other public agency and open and accessible to the general public. In the WUI areas of the City, open space is predominantly natural areas but can include city parks. • Public Agency. Refers to parcels owned by the City, County, or other public agency that contain publicly owned facilities, including water tanks, pump houses, substations, etc. • Public Right of Way. This refers to lands reserved for public use, including streets, sidewalks, and utilities. The right of way is distinct from the above categories in that the public agency does not own the land the right of way passes through, and the responsibility for tree maintenance may not be the public agency's responsibility unless there is a mandate to do so. It is difficult to generalize who is responsible for tree maintenance based on where a tree is located because of the variety of ownership. If there is a doubt about land ownership and responsibility, contact the City of Pleasanton for more information before conducting any tree work. Economic Considerations The City recognizes that maintaining trees in the WUI areas of the City to meet the Livermore -Pleasanton Fire Department vegetation management guidelines and the recommendations in this section can require more effort and expense than elsewhere in the City. This can include additional or more frequent tree trimming to ensure that the trees retained on the property have crowns with adequate clearance from the ground, buildings, chimneys, and roads. It can also include managing the number of trees on the property to maintain an ideal spacing of at least 20 feet between tree crowns and removing dead trees as soon as possible. This section summarizes the costs associated with the additional tree work and, as a comparison, the costs associated with the suppression of a large wildfire. It also includes opportunities for funding vegetation management work, including tree care, that is available for the public and agencies and discusses tree maintenance practices and property insurance. 22