Residential Chipper Program

The Yuba Watershed Protection and Fire Safe Council has received grant funding to start a residential chipping program for the Yuba County foothills. The goal of this program is intended to help residents create defensible space around occupied homes and reduce vegetation along access routes. The program is designed for residential use – no business or commercial use and available to Yuba County residents ONLY.

We will allocate up to 3 hours per property with no charge to the resident! Chipping jobs longer than 3 hours may be the responsibility of the property owner. The time it takes to drive to and from the site may be incorporated into the 3 hour limit, so encourage your neighbors to sign up as well to increase efficiency and maximize how long the contractor can spend at your property.

REFER TO AND FOLLOW PROGRAM GUIDELINES LOWER DOWN ON THIS PAGE.

SCHEDULING REQUIRMENTS:

Your piles should be complete and ready to chip when you submit this request.
The contractor will call you before coming
As long as program guidelines are met, there is no need for a resident to be home when piles are chipped.

Chipper Program Application

NOTE – This Application Requires “Attached Photos” of Your Piles for Submission

* indicates required field

OR >> You may also complete the printable application and return with photos

Open and complete the .pdf form
Save the completed form, choose File – Save As and rename the file
Attach a picture of your piles if possible
Email to: Programs@YubaFireSafe.org

Mailing address: P.O. Box 966, Marysville, CA 95901 1. Open, complete and print the form. Return by mail

Our chipping service is scheduled when there are enough requests submitted to fill a full day’s work for our contractor.

Please read the following guidelines.

Good Stacking Examples:

Poor Stacking Example:

We will chip up to a maximum of 3 hours on a single sight visit. A pile 50’ long, 3’ tall and approximately 8’ wide can typically be completed in this time. The crew may opt to return at a later date or ask the remaining material be chipped at the applicant’s expense. Chipping will occur alongside the road/driveway or other areas that allow the crew to work around the wood debris piles safely. Piles not meeting the guidelines or containing materials not approved will be denied service. The applicant can reapply once the piles have been corrected according to the chipping crew’s instructions. Once an application is received, it will be inspected for compliance. If the piles are not ready by the time of the inspection the application will be denied, the applicant will have to reapply once the piles are ready.

Things that can go in your piles

The chipper can handle material up to 4” in diameter and up to 8’ feet long.. Freshly cut and stacked materials chip much better than old dry wood. If your piles have been in place for a long time and/or contain a lot of old dry material, our crews may not be able to chip them.

Things that cannot go in your piles

No one piece of material may weigh more than 50 pounds, and no dozer or tractor piles.
No nails, wire or any metal pieces!!
No roots or stumps
No Poison Oak
No spiny plants, roses or blackberries
No Scotch/French broom or gorse
No construction- type wood such as fence posts or 2x4s
No rocks, dirt and mud
No rakings or piles of needles, leaves or grass
No dead/ old wood (hardens and cannot be put through the chipper)

Stacking and Placement of your Piles

Do not make piles more than 3’-0” tall, 8’-0” deep and with a row no longer than 50’. Piles must be stacked with the cut ends facing the same direction – pointing towards access route, preferably on the uphill side. Piles must be placed along roadway or driveway frontages so that crews can work SAFELY without the need of additional personnel signage or road closure permits – Do not place piles where they might block roadways or access. The chipper cannot go up very steep slopes. We cannot access piles that are not adjacent to an accessible road, driveway, or mowed, level field. The chipper and truck must be able to get to a place they can turn around. If the chipper cannot access your piles, you will be responsible for disposing of them. Do not put piles within 10 feet of power poles. Place piles within 5 feet of chipper access, preferably on the uphill side of the road. All material chipped will be blown back on the property in locations that the crew deems practical and safe. You are responsible for spreading out the piles of chips. Upon request, the chips may be located in piles to facilitate removal by the landowner. Unchipped material will be the responsibility of the property owner for disposal. This program is intended to address access routes and defensible space. The crew has the right to deny chipper service when the application or service area is outside the scope of the program or does not meet the guidelines.