There is a two-pronged approach to protecting your property:
HOME HARDENING & LADDER FUELS REDUCTION

There are many ways owners can secure their property to minimize damage and keep their homes and future safe when there is a wildfire event in the Sunriver area. Taking proactive measures is critical because when a wildfire occurs, it might be impossible for firefighters to reach and protect all individual properties, depending on the fire’s size, intensity and the availability of firefighting resources. 

HOME HARDENING 

Home hardening is a “chimney to foundation” approach to wildfire and ember ignition mitigation. Science tells us that this zone, which includes the home and all associated structures (such as decks, enclosures, etc.) and extends outward for five feet, is the most at risk for embers. 

Home hardening addresses the most vulnerable components of a home with building materials, installation techniques, and elimination of conditions that make a home susceptible to ember ignition. Hardening, or preparing, your home starts at the top of your structure and works down, clearing combustible materials and blocking access points for embers. 

IS YOUR HOME HARDENED AGAINST WILDFIRE?
DOWNLOAD AND TAKE THIS TEST TO FIND OUT

LADDER FUELS REDUCTION

Ladder Fuels Reduction or “LFR” for Sunriver owners is a “foundation to property line” approach to wildfire and ember storm mitigation. 

Ladder fuels are the accumulation of combustible materials linking the ground to the tree canopy and include bitterbrush, live and dead limbs and tree seedlings. Ladder fuels reduction also includes thinning of larger trees to reduce competition to promote forest health as well as to slow spread of fire should it reach the tree canopy. 

Owners that follow the guidelines in the Sunriver Ladder Fuels Reduction Plan will further reduce the intensity and growth of a wildfire and create a safer place for firefighters to control and contain the fire and defend Sunriver homes.

IS YOUR PROPERTY DEFENSIBLE AGAINST WILDFIRE?
DOWNLOAD AND TAKE THIS TEST TO FIND OUT

Common names: Bitterbrush, Antelope bitterbrush
Scientific name: Purshia tridentata

Background: Sunriver's most abundant vegetation, bitterbrush is a native, deciduous shrub well adapted to Central Oregon’s climate.  The shrub can grow from seed or by stems that lay on the ground and sprout new roots and branches.  A member of the Rose family (Rosaceae), bitterbrush blossoms with sweet-smelling yellow flowers in early spring. The shrub is an important food source for wildlife and deer, birds, squirrels, and other animals use bitterbrush for cover. Bitterbrush’s stems, branches, and leaves contain volatile oils and accumulate dead and dry material within the plant – making it flammable and fire-prone.

Removing bitterbrush on private property in Sunriver: Bitterbrush shall be removed within 15’ of a structure (including garages, decks or any enclosures), and 3’ beyond the dripline of any pine or deciduous trees. In open areas, bitterbrush should be thinned to provide no more than 20% ground cover. 

Frequently Ask Questions about bitterbrush

How do I identify bitterbrush?
Three well-separated teeth on the end of the small (¼ to ½ inch) leaf provide bitterbrush with its name (“tridentata”) and most distinguishing feature. The shrub shape can vary considerably from low, twisted, and spreading to upright and heavily-branched. The stiff, woody branches are greyish in color and the leaves have a hairy surface that gives the entire plant a dusty green appearance. The small, short-lived flowers have five petals.  Bitterbrush loses its leaves each fall. 

Is a permit required to remove bitterbrush on my property?

No permit is required to remove bitterbrush within 15 feet of a structure on private property.

A free Forest Management permit is required to authorize the removal of bitterbrush or manzanita within three (3) feet beyond the drip line of a tree and can be obtained by: 

• Completing the Tree/Vegetation Removal Request
• Contacting SROA Natural Resources department at 541-593-1522 or naturalresources@srowners.org.

Due to its high flammability, REMOVE and/or DO NOT PLANT the following:

• Juniper
• Arborvitae (shrubs or trees)
• Manzanita

Finding landscaping plants and trees to suit your needs can be challenging. Here a few resources that highlight suggestions for fire-resistant vegetation in Sunriver.

Landscaping in Sunriver - a printable document curated by SROA's Natural Resources department highlights suggested flowers, shrubs, trees and grasses for landscaping in Sunriver.

Fire-Resistant Plants For Home Landscapes - a download and printable document created by OSU, Washington State University and University of Idaho is an excellent resource to selecting plants that may reduce your risk from wildfire.

Here's a short list of WHAT NOT TO PLANT due to their flammable nature:
  • juniper
  • arborvitae
  • manzanita
  • bitterbrush.

Background: Removing dead or live limbs from a ponderosa or lodgepole pine tree is among the most common ladder fuels reduction procedure in Sunriver. The growth habit of our native conifers can include both dead and live branches that extend to the ground. These branches ignite easily and can act as “ladders” that connect ground fuels with tree canopies in the event of a wildfire.

Mature ponderosa and lodgepole pine trees may naturally “self-prune” in an undeveloped forest, often aided by wind or periodic low-intensity ground fires.  In our community, where structures are abundant and burning (controlled or otherwise) is impractical or dangerous, our native trees require a higher level of care to mechanically remove vegetation that act as ladder fuels. 

Guidelines for removing tree limbs on private property in Sunriver: The Sunriver Ladder Fuels Reduction Plan provides the following guidelines for removing limbs on Ponderosa and lodgepole pine trees located on private property in Sunriver:

• Trees taller than 20 feet
  • Live limbs: shall be removed up to a minimum of six (6) feet and a maximum of eight (8) feet from the ground.
  • Dead limbs: shall be removed to a minimum height of ten (10) feet
• Trees shorter than 20 feet
  • Only the branches from the lower one-third 1/3 of the tree shall be removed
  • Branches of pines and other flammable trees that rest on or near a roof or wall shall be removed creating a clearance of at least five (5) feet.
  • Tree branches within 15 feet of the outlet of a chimney and/or chimney outlet shall be removed.

IMPORTANT: Removing limbs or pruning trees must be done with an understanding of tree biology. Improper pruning can create lasting damage or even shorten the tree’s life.

Limbing FAQs

When should limbs be removed from Ponderosa and lodgepole pine trees?

With care, dead limbs may be removed at any time from coniferous trees. Late winter to early spring is the preferred time to prune live limbs, before the growing season begins. Proper pruning techniques will minimize damage and support wound closure if limbs are removed in sub-optimal periods.

What equipment should be used to remove limbs?

Small branches can be cut easily with hand pruners or loppers. Scissor-type or bypass-blade hand pruners are preferred over the anvil type as they make cleaner, more accurate cuts. Cuts larger than one-half inch in diameter should be made with lopping shears or a pruning saw. Do not use hedge shears to prune a tree. Whatever tool you use, make sure it is kept clean and sharp.

The drip line coincides with where the tree is growing tiny feeder roots that absorb moisture and nutrients from the soil. When the tree canopy gets wet, excess water is shed to the ground along the tree’s dripline, much like an umbrella. The fine roots absorb this moisture for the health of the plant.  For this reason, the area under the drip line is also known as a tree's critical root zone, sometimes also called the root protection zone (RPZ).

The area under the drip line is also the gateway to the tree’s canopy, an area of key importance in a wildland urban interface community such as Sunriver, where risk of wildfire is extremely high.  In the event of a wildland fire, ground or surface fire is easier to contain.  Fires that move from the ground to tree crowns are the most intense and dangerous wildland fires and are difficult to control or extinguish. 

To prevent fire conveyance and home ignition from radiant heat, bitterbrush and manzanita shall be removed within three (3) feet beyond the drip line of tree branches, and all dead brush shall be removed from all areas of the property. 

Yes, a free Forest Management Permit authorizing the removal of bitterbrush or manzanita within three (3) feet beyond the drip line of a tree can be obtained by:

• Completing the Tree/Vegetation Removal Request
• Contacting SROA Natural Resources department at 541-593-1522 or naturalresources@srowners.org.

• Project Wildfire (Deschutes County)
• OSU Extension Fire Program
• Fire Adapted Communities
• Oregon Department of Forestry – Home Wildfire Safety Tips
• NFPA Firewise