We are working together to help you create defensible space!

Curbside Chipping Program
for Big Bear Valley area

THIS PROGRAM IS OPEN

YOU MUST COMPLETE THE FORM BELOW TO BE REGISTERED FOR CURBSIDE SERVICE

We have extended the chipping services through October!

The deadline to register for the NEXT cycle is Sunday, October 22nd, 6pm.
This is the final chipping deadline for 2023.

REVIEW ALL INFO AND SCROLL DOWN FOR REGISTRATION FORM

MRFSC is able to offer this free service thanks to grant funding from CAL FIRE's California Climate Investment Fire Prevention grant program and CFSC's SRA grant program.

Information
The following information is critical for our grant funding, to demonstrate the homeowner and community’s efforts in creating defensible space.

The process for curbside chipping:

1. Property owner places slash (branches, small trees,etc) at their curb or roadside.

2. Property owner registers by the deadline for that month's cycle.

3. The day after the deadline MRFSC provides a list of properties to the various contractors and fire departments and code enforcement.

4. The contractors then create the most efficient "route" for their equipment and crews. We never know where they will start or how long a cycle will take. Some people have a few branches, others have larger piles. Our contractors commit to complete their lists within two weeks. This isn't always possible depending on weather, the volume of properties and material and backlogs in abatement projects.

Help us demonstrate the value of this free chipping service by completing the required chipping request form which provides us with documentation of community support creating defensible space. The outcomes and success of this grant will be important considerations in our applications for future grants.

Thank you for doing your part in making our communities more FIRE SAFE!

The contractor will not backtrack to chip your material if it is not ready when he arrives.

Instructions
You will be required to answer the following questions on the form below to register your request for curbside chipping. In addition to basic property and contact information, please provide:

Defensible Space Hours - refers to the number of hours spent creating defensible space. These hours include not only the time spent creating the piles to be chipped, but also the removal of pine needles and leaves, removing or modifying shrubs, cutting wild grasses and weeds to 4 (four) inches and so on. If more than one person worked, please include all hours. Example: if two people worked for four hours that would be a total of EIGHT (8) hours, not four. If you paid someone to do all or part of the work, do not include their hours, their time will be covered under a different question. Your best estimate is fine.

Who Did the Work - this is to track the property owner's participation in creating defensible space, and the time is used for "in-kind" volunteer hours to match the dollars received in the grant. This can be you, friends, family, neighbors, etc. It is fine if you didn't personally do the work and hired someone else to trim, cut and stack for you. The amount you paid them is also considered "in-kind" and is answered in the next question.

If You Hired Someone Else for All or Part of the Work, How Much Did You Pay - enter the total amount paid, round to whole dollars.

Program Criteria - failure to comply with the following criteria may result in your material not being chipped!

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Material to be chipped must be on the property stacked along a road/driveway or an area allowing the chipping crew to work alongside the pile safely. Contractor must be able to reach the material from the edge of the road – nothing to be placed slopes (up or down) that is beyond arms reach (about three feet). Contractor may not come on your property to access the material

PLEASE STACK THE LIMBS, BRANCHES AND TREES with all the cut ends the same way, preferably facing the street. This significantly reduces the amount of time it takes to chip at each property.
PILES CANNOT BE MORE THAN FIVE (5) FT HIGH!!
Limbs or small trees can be any length, but cannot be more than 8 inches in diameter (wide, not the circumference)

Piles on “roads” which are determined to be inaccessible for chipping equipment may be bypassed. If in doubt, contact MRFSC in advance for a site review

THE USE OF BACKHOES OR TRACTORS TO CREATE SLASH PILES FOR CHIPPING IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. PILES SO CREATED WILL BE BYPASSED.

NO root balls, limbs or tree trunks larger than 8" in diameter, construction lumber, bagged material, pine needles, weeds, leaves, pine cones or loose bark, painted or preserved wood, trash, material containing rocks, dirt, metal, nails, screws, fasteners, wire or twine will be accepted. Limbs with pine needles or leaves are acceptable of course, we just cannot accept piles or bags of these items.
All chips will be hauled away
MRFSC RESERVES THE RIGHT TO REFUSE TO CHIP AT ANY LOCATION OR UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES IF DETERMINED INACCESSIBLE, UNSAFE OR IF THE ABOVE CRITERIA IS NOT MET.

Property Owner Declaration

By submitting the form below, Participant declares that he/she is the owner of the property or an agent for the owner. Participant grants the Mountain Rim Fire Safe Council, its contractors,inspectors and agents permission to access the property as needed for pile inspections, chipping services and monitoring. Participant acknowledges that the Mountain Rim Fire Safe Council provides this service through contracts with chipping vendors. Participant agrees to waive and release the Mountain Rim Fire Safe Council and its employees, Boards, contractors, volunteers, officers, agents, from all liability arising from participation in this program.

The information provided on the required form is used solely for purposes of this grant. Participant acknowledges that the information provided is true and accurate to the best of his/her knowledge. Participant's personal contact information will not be shared beyond the scope of this grant and will not be used for advertising.

Upon completion and successful submission, the form will serve as your official request for Curbside Chipping Service. You will receive an acknowledgement within 72 hours and an estimated window for when service should occur.

ALL QUESTIONS BELOW MUST BE ANSWERED FOR YOUR REQUEST TO BE CONSIDERED.

We must receive your request by 6:00pm PST on the designated Sunday deadline in order to include your property in the crew cycle immediately following the deadline date. If we do not receive your request in a timely manner, your material may not be addressed until the following month's cycle and you may be subject to citation under County ordinances.

Please contact us via the Contact Page or by call 866-923-FIRE (3473) if you have any questions, or if you would prefer not to use the online form.

REQUEST FORM: If you do not receive a pop up message that your form has been submitted, review your answers. All fields with an "*" are required to be completed for the form to be processed.

Please register my property for curbside chipping

First Name

Last Name

Preferred Phone #

Street Number, enter 0 if vacant lot

Street Name

City or Town

Zip Code

Parcel Number (from property tax bill)

Who did the defensible space work?

I did the work myself (including friends & family)

I paid someone else to do all the work. ENTER AMT BELOW

I did part of the work and paid someone to do part of the work. ENTER AMT BELOW

Hours spent on defensible space

Expenses, if you paid someone else to do all or part of the work

Special Instructions / comments

Relationship to property, if yo re NOT the property owner

I understand the material will be chipped within three weeks of the registration DEADLINE.*

I accept terms & conditions for participating in this program as noted on this page and the criteria for the material as stated*

Form Signature

Your request has been submitted. You will receive a formal email acknowledgement within 72 hours.