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1. What is vegetation management?

Each spring, the City of Poway conducts its annual Vegetation Management Program. The purpose of this program is to manage the annual growth of weeds, dry grasses, dead shrubs and dead trees in specific, predetermined areas in order to minimize fire hazards through the dry season (typically May through November).

2. I received notice that my property needs active vegetation management. Where is the management required?

Fire Department and Code Compliance staff have previously conducted an evaluation of your property and determined that your property needs active vegetation management in specified abatement areas only. Typically, these abatement areas no longer contain native vegetation, but consist of previously abated areas where annual weeds and grasses have grown back since last season. In addition to these areas, you should annually inspect for dead shrubs and trees, and remove them from the property. The majority of people who receive this letter should already be familiar with the abatement areas on their property; they are usually the same areas abated every year.

If you are a new property owner, new to the Vegetation Management Program, or are just unsure about the exact areas to cut, please call us at 858-668-4664.

3. What about native vegetation?

Poway has several native habitats, which are home to a number of federally protected, sensitive, rare, threatened, and endangered plant and animal species. Native vegetation includes, but is not limited to grassland, sage scrub, chaparral, and wetlands. Please do not clear areas of native vegetation outside of your previously established abatement areas. If you are in doubt as to where you need to abate, please call us at 858-668-4664 before you cut, and we will be glad to help you identify your abatement areas.

4. What methods can I use to manage the vegetation?

Mowing and weed whipping are the acceptable methods of cutting weeds. Weeds and grasses should be cut low to the ground while leaving the roots intact to prevent erosion. Dead shrubs and trees must be removed from the property altogether and may require the use of hand held saws. Any vegetation abatement operator using mechanical equipment must have immediate access to an operable fire extinguisher.

Spraying with a weed killer is not a satisfactory form of vegetation management, as it leaves an abundance of dried weeds that create a fire hazard.

• Disking – Because of recent restrictions placed by the State Regional Water Quality Control Board, disking is no longer an acceptable method of vegetation management.
• Goats – Goats are not an acceptable method of vegetation management because they tend to only eat some plants, while leaving others behind. Also, if not properly controlled, they range into areas not specified in our Vegetation Management Program, destroying valuable native habitats and exposing you to costly fines!

5. What happens if I don’t finish before the deadline?

If you cannot or choose not to abate the weeds, dry grasses, dead shrubs or dead trees on your property before the deadline, City contractors will conduct the work. The property owner will be billed for the work, plus a $175.00 administrative fee, which will appear on the owner’s property tax bill.