Davey Resource Group

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) called upon Davey Resource Group (DRG) to assist with creating fuel breaks in rural San Diego County on two Indian reservations, supporting national efforts to better protect such areas and their inhabitants from wildland fires.

During several months in 2007 and 2008, DRG foresters identified and marked vegetation for removal to create shaded fuel breaks up to 200 feet from rural fire and access roads. The work was done on Palomar Mountain and the Los Coyotes and Pauma Indian reservations in northeast San Diego County. NRCS then created work plans to remove the vegetation.

Fuel breaks help firefighters safely and effectively battle wildfire because they can slow or stop the advancement of fire. The breaks also allow for safer prescribed burns and can alter fire behavior to reduce the possibility of catastrophic damage.

In 2003, San Diego County experienced such an event. During those firestorms, practically no breaks in vegetation existed. More than 2,400 homes and businesses were destroyed. In October 2007, the county suffered again from devastating fires. More than 500,000 residents were evacuated and 1,400 homes were destroyed. Thankfully, fuel breaks created by NRCS contract work allowed firefighters to make a stand during the 50,000-acre Poomacha Fire and helped them stop the fire's spread in several areas.

In other project efforts, DRG foresters identified vegetation to be removed in an area of Los Coyotes Indian Reservation to be used as a campground. This vegetation removal will make the area safer for campers, and the resulting campsite will be an income source for the reservation.

The Los Coyotes Reservation spans nearly 24,800 acres about 50 miles from San Diego and is home to 70 people. Just more than 185 people live on the Pauma Reservation, which is about 5,900 acres in size and 65 miles from San Diego.

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