Is the City “Unwittingly” Increasing the Fire Danger
in Scripps Ranch?

Facts:

The Scripps Ranch Eucalyptus forest is a community treasure. It was planted 100 years ago this year. It is not only the symbol of our community but also a historically significant jewel in the City’s crown.

Eucalyptus trees reduce or eliminate undergrowth and brush because the eucalyptus
impedes plant growth within its drip line.

Historically, native brush and grasses are the main fuel for wildfires in San Diego and
were specifically responsible for the 2003 Cedar Fire.

Scripps Ranch is forested predominantly by Red Gum Eucalyptus with some stands of Blue Gum located directly in the river valley on the south side of Pomerado Road.

Healthy, mature Red Gum Eucs only burn under extraordinary heat and wind conditions. There is not a history of recurrent fires in this forest.

Diseased or dead Eucs burn more readily than healthy live trees but still burn only with intense heat and wind.

Any healthy tree canopy reduces irrigation requirements, contributes to maintaining
moisture at ground level, and provides significant CO2 absorption.

Increasing tree canopy is a National and International imperative in light of
environmental concerns about greenhouse gasses and global warming.

Trees can intercept blowing fireballs that could otherwise ignite houses.

The City intends to use herbicides to keep the thousands of stumps from growing back.  Many herbicides strong enough to kill mature Eucalyptus stumps are known to be carcinogenic and the anticipated impact on wildlife and watershed is undesirable.

Errors and Misrepresentations:

Eucalyptus Trees are “Highly Flammable” and contributed to the rapid spread of fire in 2003.

Source - Tracy Jarman (SD Fire Chief)
Fact – The 2003 fires proved that healthy Red Gum Eucs are very resistant to fire as demonstrated by the miles of forest in Scripps - still green - after the brush fire-storm had blazed in and around them, disintegrating the brush. (see above)

Eucalyptus Trees contributed the 2007 fires in Scripps Ranch.

Source – Tracy Jarman (SD Fire Chief)
Fact – There was no fire in Scripps Ranch in 2007.

Most Scripps Ranch Eucs are the more flammable Blue Gum.

Source – Scripps Ranch Fire Safe Council
Fact - The Eucalyptus Forest, originally planted in 1909, is predominantly the much more fire resistant Red Gum. Blue Gums are confined to the river bottom on the south side of Pomerado Road.

Eucalyptus Trees explode in fires.

Source – Scripps Ranch Fire Safe Council
Fact – Only Blue Gum Eucs have been rumored to explode and even that finding is suspect. News film footage from the Cedars fire clearly shows underbrush burning and no flames at all in the canopy of the Eucs in the background.

There has been no escalation in the policies of cutting of Eucalyptus Trees in Scripps.

Source – SD Parks and Rec Deputy Director – Chris Zircle
Fact – Since intense brush management began in 2008, City policy was to remove saplings 3” in diameter or less. Recently, brush management changed dramatically to include cutting of large numbers of mature trees. Among the dozens of mature trees felled at three sites so far was a 32 inch in diameter tree, felled at the Scripps Ranch Boulevard site.

Still Under Investigation:

There is some question as to whether there was a crown fire (fire which spreads at the tops of trees) during the 2003 Fire. Aerial photos are now being studied but numerous ground photos showing universally green tree tops in intense fire areas strongly suggest that this did not take place. Crown fire is a main driver of the policy to eliminate large numbers of mature Eucs in the Scripps Ranch forest.

Loss of federal funding due to insufficient protection of native species has been used as an explanation for trading the removal of highly flammable native brush in favor of removing Eucs. The City has provided no definitive evidence substantiating this threatened funding cut. It seems only rational to remove the most flammable plants first.

Does the Federal Government really encourage a Native Species Policy that significantly increases fire danger?

There is a question why an inordinately high percentage of City resources are being expended in Scripps Ranch. The wisdom of the expenditure on destroying mature Eucs has not been effectively supported. Particularly, explanation of the absence of an equally zealous program to remove deadfall and diseased trees is lacking. The City received $2.36M from FEMA for brush management and has matched it with $3.9M from the overburdened General Fund. Is this a wise expenditure of scarce resources?


Conclusions:

• The City appears to have imposed and escalated a policy of removing
mature Eucalyptus Trees in Scripps Ranch without engaging in any
meaningful dialog with the residents of Scripps Ranch.

• The City’s apparent tree removal policy seems to be based on
misinformation, misrepresentations, and mischaracterization even of the nature of the Scripps Ranch forest and fire history.

• An agenda of removing non-native plants and trees appears to contribute to this policy at the expense of effective fire prevention.

• The City’s tree removal policy will destroy much of the character of
Scripps Ranch. It has already negatively affected residents and could
affect property values.

• The tree removal policy actually contributes to fire danger!

• Residents of Scripps Ranch will hold the City responsible for all damages.

Eucalyptus Forests Preserved in some of California’s most beautiful Communities...

Tourists come from around the world to see 17 Mile Drive, Pebble Beach, Carmel, Santa Cruz and our own Ranch Santa Fe.  None of these areas are clear cutting their trees!