Riverside County 2019 Weed Abatement Program

Riverside County 2019 Weed Abatement Program

The project is to implement the Riverside County's 2019 Weed Abatement Program pursuant to Ordinance No. 695, as amended requiring the abatement of flammable and combustible vegetation that can potentially become a fire hazard. Abatement activities will adhere to the removal practices specified in the Field Training Manual Decision Making Guidelines. The Riverside County Fire Department Hazardous Reduction Office conducts annual field inspection of unimproved lands throughout the unincorporated areas of Riverside County. The purpose of the annual inspection is to identify hazardous vegetation or combustible material on properties which pose a hazard to the safety of the landowners, residents in the vicinity, users of public highways and to the public in general. As a result of these site specific inspections, property owners of targeted parcels will receive a Notice of Violation and Order to Abate which will indicate the method and amount of clearance required for compliance. The annual weed abatement program specifically deals with the removal of rubbish, litter or combustible material of any kind, as well as clearance of native and non-native vegetation, stubble, brush, dry leaves, tumbleweeds or other rank growth which is flammable and endangers the public safety by creating a fire hazard and is, therefore, deemed a public nuisance. Clearance of said vegetation or material shall be limited to what is necessary to establish sufficient defensible space i.e., up to 100 ft from structures on adjoining properties. All abatement activities are directed by the Riverside County Fire Department Hazardous Reduction Office on a site specific basis with recognition of reserve areas or areas located within a Western Riverside Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan and Coachella Valley Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan Criteria Cell which may support rare, threatened, and endangered species and other environmentally sensitive habitats. No owner, occupant or person in control of any said unimproved parcel shall be authorized to abate hazardous vegetation unless the owner, occupant or person has received a Notice of Violation and Order to Abate or alternatively has been issued a grading permit pursuant to the requirements of Ordinance No. 457. All abatement activities shall comply with the Fugitive Dust Rule as set forth in South Coast Air Quality Management District Rule 403, as amended, and disposal of hazardous vegetation or combustible material shall be in a lawful manner.

Riverside

Countywide

Cal Fire, California Department of Conservation (DOC), California Department of Parks and Recreation, California Department of Transportation, District 8 (DOT), California Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC), California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Santa Ana Region 8 (RWQCB), Department of Toxic Substances Control, Department of Water Resources, Office of Emergency Services, California, Resources Agency, Resources, Recycling and Recovery, State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Water Quality, Department of Fish and Wildlife, Region 6

Department of Fish and Wildlife, Region 6

Weed Abatement Program