1. Maintain no vegetation or brush within zero to 5 feet from structures.
2. Zone 1 extends 35 feet outwards from the house or building. This area must be maintained on a regular basis by thinning and pruning trees and plants, controlling weeds and maintaining irrigation systems.
3. Plants within Zone 1 should be primarily low-growing and less than 4 feet in height with the exception of trees. Plants should be low-fuel and fire-resistive.
   1. See San Diego County Fire guidance for recommended plants within defensible space areas. 

 

 

 

 

4. Trees within Zone 1 should be located away from structures with a minimum distance of 10 feet as measured from the structure to the drip line. The drip line is the outermost edge of the tree canopy at maturity. This is in accordance with the Landscape Standards of the Land Development Manual.

 

 

5. Here is tree pruning guidance when raising the canopy of a tree: 

 

 

 

6. Non-irrigated plant groupings over 6 inches in height may be retained provided they do not exceed 100 square feet in area and their combined coverage does not exceed 10% of the total Zone 1 area.

1. Do not grade native soils or habitats.
2. Conduct brush management activities from November through January to avoid bird breeding season. If clearing or pruning vegetation from Feb. 1 through Aug. 15, Biology Surveys are required to determine the presence or absence of nests. 

Before Beginning Brush Management Activities in Zone 2

Step 1. Determine if a covenant of easement is recorded on your property as part of a prior development approval for the construction of your home or residence. Please note that based on the conditions of the easement your brush management responsibilities may include maintaining the easement area.

Please check your homeowner records or City Development Services Department Records for copies of the easement language.

Step 2. Determine if your property is within or adjacent to the City’s Multiple Habitat Planning Area (MHPA) and Open Space. If it is not, proceed to “Steps for Zone 2 Brush Management” below for guidance on how to complete brush management. If it is, please refer to Step 3.

Step 3. Determine if biological surveys are needed before beginning brush management activities.

For private properties within or adjacent to the MHPA/Open Space and where brush management is conducted during bird breeding season (Feb. 15 through Aug. 15), the private property owner is responsible for hiring a qualified biologist to conduct biological surveys and prepare a letter to submit to BiodiverseSD@sandiego.gov that provides documentation on either the presence or absence of nests. If brush management is performed outside breeding season no survey is needed!

• Refer to the City’s Guidelines for Conducting Biological Surveys for further guidance regarding a biologist's qualifications and the contents of the letter.
• Avoid the breeding season (Feb. 15 through Aug. 15) of sensitive birds, such as the California Gnatcatcher and Cooper’s Hawk.

 

California Gnatcatcher

 

 

Cooper’s Hawk

 

Steps for Zone 2 Brush Management

Step 1: Remove

Remove and dispose of invasive plant species (see below slideshow for a few examples) and any dead wood and vegetation. This creates a buffer zone that will slow the spread of wildfire and give firefighters more time to respond. However, some plant coverage needs to be maintained for soil protection.

For chaparral and coastal sage scrub vegetation communities, dead plants are easier to identify in the spring and winter because, in the summer, they become dormant and appear dead as they lose their green leaves and turn brown.

Step 2: Thin

Thin 50% of the entire Zone 2 area. Thinning means removing smaller or underperforming trees and shrubs to reduce the fuel load. 

All plants remaining after the 50% reduction, should be pruned to reduce fuel. Individual non-irrigated plant groupings over 24 inches in height may be retained provided they do not exceed 400 square feet in area and their combined coverage does not exceed 30% of the total Zone 2 area.

 

 

 

 

Step 3: Prune

1. Prune all plants or plant groupings that are left after the thinning process to achieve horizontal and vertical clearances so that there is space in between trees and shrubs. Pruning involves removing dead branches, needles and other combustible material from trees and shrubs to lessen the risk of a wildfire spreading quickly.
2. Remaining plants that are 4 feet or more in height should be cut and shaped into umbrellas. This means pruning one half of the lower branches to create an umbrella shaped canopy. Upper branches may then be shortened to reduce fuel load as long as the canopy is intact.

 

 

3. Plants that are less than 4 feet in height, like coastal sage scrub, should be cut back to within 1 foot of the root crown.

 

 

Step 4: Dispose

Dispose of the cuttings and dead wood by either bringing it to the Miramar Greenery or by placing it in your green organic waste bin (green bins). Food scraps, food-soiled paper, yard trimmings and non-hazardous wood waste can go in the green bin. You can also discard yard trimmings, such as leaves, grass and untreated wood in the green bin. Do not overfill and make sure the lid is kept closed. Green bins are collected weekly.

Step 5: Thin and prune plants annually because plants will grow back!

Brush management practices in the City are regulated through the Land Development Code. It is the responsibility of each homeowner to conduct brush management on their property consistent with San Diego Municipal Code (SDMC) Section 142.0412 and with required protections for environmentally sensitive lands (SDMC Chapter 14, Article 3, Division 1).

• For Brush Weed Complaints, contact the City’s Fire-Rescue Department at (619)-533-4444. Complaints about a potential fire hazard created by brush, fire hazards to structures, visual hazards to motor traffic, an impediment in the right-of-way and an impediment to drainage.
• For Defensible Space Inspection Application and Record Searches, contact the Community Risk Reduction Division at (619)-533-4388.
• For further guidance, please refer to Section 3 Brush Management in the City’s Landscape Standards.
• Learn how the City’s Parks and Recreation Department is managing Brush Management in City-owned Open Space lands here.
• Learn more about the City’s San Diego Fire-Rescue Wildland Management and Enforcement section, Real Estate Defensible Space Inspection Program, Proactive Door to Door Brush Management Program, Annual Weed Abatement Vacant Lot Program and the Weed Abatement and Brush Complaint Program.