Vegetation Management

Vegetation management is a broad term, which can include managing and maintaining near-home plants and vegetation, known as "defensible space," or large-scale management of wildland area natural ecosystems. The Fire Prevention Division's mission primarily addresses defensible space, the area from buildings put to a radius of 100 feet (or the property line). Both defensible space and wildland fuels modification should protect lives and property while restoring wildfire and ecosystem resiliency, preserving and increasing the health of our natural ecosystems.

Permit Sonoma offers grant-funded service programs that can help you with vegetation management:

• Chipper Program: The free Chipper Program helps residents create defensible space and reduce risk from fire-prone vegetation near homes. We hope that our free chipper service will help residents maintain healthy and “fire-wise” landscapes.
• Hazardous Vegetation Inspection & Abatement Program: Fire Inspectors from the Permit Sonoma Fire Prevention Division and local Fire Districts inspect properties for compliance with State and Sonoma County regulations to lower the risk of future catastrophic wildfire by managing vegetation to modify or reduce hazardous fuels and protect the lives and property of Sonoma County residents while improving forest health and wildfire resilience in the county’s forested areas.
• Weed Complaints & Abatement: The Permit Sonoma Fire Prevention Division will conduct weed complaint inspections for parcels located in the Local Response Area (LRA) within Sonoma County Volunteer Fire Company Jurisdiction only. For parcels located in a fire district, you must contact the fire district directly.
• Fire Protection Plans: Before a building permit will be issued, construction projects located in High and Very High Fire Severity Zones are required to have a detailed fire prevention plan reviewed by the Fire Prevention Division. The Fire Protection Planning Requirements page contains more detailed information regarding compliance.

Chipper Program

The Chipper Program helps residents create defensible space and reduce risk from fire-prone vegetation near homes. We hope that our free chipper service will help residents maintain healthy and “firewise” landscapes.” Learn more information about what can be chipped and sign up on our Chipper Program page.

Hazardous Vegetation Inspection & Abatement

Inspectors from Sonoma County and local Fire Districts inspect properties for compliance with the Sonoma County Fire Safety Ordinance. Selected properties that are not within city limits (improved and unimproved) may be part of the inspection program.

Weed Complaints & Abatement

The Permit Sonoma Fire Prevention Division will conduct weed complaint inspections for parcels located in the Local Response Area (LRA) within Sonoma County Volunteer Fire Company Jurisdiction only. For parcels located in a fire district, you must contact the fire district directly.

Fire Protection Plans

Before a building permit will be issued, construction projects located in High and Very High Fire Severity Zones are required to have a detailed fire prevention plan reviewed by the Fire Prevention Division. The Fire Protection Planning Requirements page contains more detailed information regarding compliance.