Fire Risk Reduction

Reducing Fire Risk in Sacramento County Parks

Sacramento County’s Regional Parks is continuing our goal to decrease the number and size of wildfires in our parks, and protect our high priority forests, wildlife habitats, and cultural resources. Parks staff are using and evaluating a number of techniques to balance resource protection and fire risk, including prescribed fire, livestock grazing, and maintaining our designated firebreaks and fire roads.

Listed below is a schedule of Sacramento County Regional Parks' wildfire risk reduction activities.

Resident and Property Owner Responsibilities

Anyone who owns or lives on property adjacent to County Parks should be aware of the following rules and guidelines:

Do not dispose of yard waste or trash onto County property behind your fences. Residents in the unincorporated area of Sacramento County are entitled to one bulky waste collection per calendar year at no charge
Reduce fire fuel on your property. Visit Ready for Wildfire for tips and info.
Learn about the Metro Fire Department's Community Risk Reduction Division, (formerly Fire Prevention Bureau) is responsible for protecting the public through coordinated efforts in fire prevention, code enforcement, fire protection engineering, fire and life safety education and fire investigation.
Fuel Break Maintenance Permits now available for those who live next to Regional Parks

Annual Encroachment Permits are now available to those residents who wish to maintain a fuel break behind their backyard fence on Regional Parks property. These annual permits are free of charge and will allow residents to string-trim grass and weeds for up to 50 feet beyond their private property line.
The permit is only for cutting non-woody vegetation, such as a grasses and weeds, and does not allow cutting or removing woody plants, such as trees, shrubs or vines. Acceptable methods include string trimming or hand-tool removal. Lawn mowers, which could spark a fire, or herbicides are not permitted.
To see specific permit conditions, read the pdf document.
You may request a permit by providing your name, address and contact information to Regional Parks at parksinfo@SacCounty.gov.

Parks Visitor Responsibilities

Visitors to Sacramento County Regional Parks should be aware of the following regulations:

Smoking is only allowed in developed picnic areas, asphalt surfaces, golf courses and levee tops in the American River Parkway.
Open flame fires are not allowed and barbequing is only permitted in designated picnic areas.

Fire Fuel Reduction Action Plan

Listed below is a schedule of Fire Fuel Reduction Plans for 2022.

General

	Action	Desired Completion Date
	Increase outreach to residents about encroachment permit opportunity for reducing flashy fuels in County open space adjacent to private property.	Ongoing
	Emergency Access Routes (including park roads, service roads, and paved trails) - trees and vegetation are trimmed to maintain 14’ high and 14’ wide clearance.	Ongoing
	Cal Expo/Bushy Lake - Maintenance road to be widened to 14’ (or wider) to the east of Bushy Lake, to allow for emergency vehicle access in this area.	TBD - Planning in progress
	General Wildland Urban Interface (in unleveed portion of American River Parkway) - removal of ladder fuels along property lines with hand crews	Ongoing

American River Parkway

	Action	Desired Completion Date
	Cal Expo and Woodlake areas – Service road shoulders treated with herbicide and mowed to maintain 30’ wide firebreaks	Herbicide treatments complete. Mowing to be completed by July 4
	Cal Expo, Woodlake and Northgate areas – grazing (as funding allows).	August 29
	Cal Expo/Bushy Lake – planting fire resistant understory and research with CSUS.	Ongoing
	Cal Expo and Woodlake areas—range management burns in partnership with Sacramento City Fire.	Not scheduled this year
	Campus Commons – grazing (as funding allows).	Not scheduled this year
	Fair Oaks Bluff – grazing (as funding allows).	July 4
	Lower Sunrise - 30’ wide Firebreaks disced	July 4
	River Bend Park (east fields) – Firebreaks mowed and treated with herbicide.	July 4
	Rossmoor Bar - Firebreaks disked.	July 4
	Sailor Bar east – maintain/mow shoulders along roadway firebreak from boat launch parking area to Curragh Downs access	July 4
	Install fire road signage along all maintenance roadways in City of Sacramento Fire Department portion of the ARP, including Discovery Park, Woodlake and Cal Expo areas.	Complete
	Install fire road signage along all maintenance roadways in Sacramento Metro Fire District portion of the ARP, including Sailor Bar, Sunrise Area, Sacramento Bar, Rossmoor Bar, Ancil Hoffman, River Bend, and Pond Parks.	Ongoing (Note: Sacramento Bar and Sailor Bar are complete)
	Discovery Park area - add emergency access roadway into Bannon Island Nature Study Area.	TBD
	Sailor Bar bluffs, from Illinois through Olive access – grazing	July 4

Dry Creek Parkway

	Action	Desired Completion Date
	Dry Creek Parkway Trail: Mow and treat with herbicide firebreaks along and around the open fields to north and south of Q streets.	July 4
	Cherry Lane/Curved Bridge/Elkhorn roadway firebreak – mow and treat with herbicide.	July 4
	Northern Bike Trail (south of Elkhorn Blvd) - Mow firebreak along paved trail. Treat post and cable fencing with herbicide.	July 4
	Paige Property and adjacent orchard area – grazing.	July 4
	Q Street open space (north and south)—agricultural hay harvest in open field. Grazing in eastern riparian area (as funding allows)	July 4
	Hayer Park Trail Connection - mow	July 4

Indian Stone Corral

	Action	Desired Completion Date
	Mowing of fence line firebreak surrounding property.	Not scheduled this year - fenceline is being grazed
	Grazing (as funding allows).	Ongoing

Mather

	Action	Desired Completion Date
	Firebreak along Mather Bike Trail mowed.	July 4
	Mowing of firebreaks behind homes and roadways in the Independent Housing area.	July 4
	Zinfandel and Woodring roadside mowed/sprayed.	July 4
	Mather Rotary Park perimeter and roadside mowed/sprayed	July 4
	Illa Collin Conservation Preserve -- grazing behind portions of Independent Housing Area	July 4
	Illa Collin Conservation Preserve – range management burn in partnership with Sacramento Metro Fire.	Not scheduled this year

Rollingwood Open Space

	Action	Desired Completion Date
	Rollingwood West – removal of ladder fuels with hand crews.	Ongoing
	Rollingwood East/West – grazing (as funding allows).	July 4

Regional Parks

Fire Risk Reduction

​Reducing Fire Risk in Sacramento County Parks

Fire Reduction Action Plan ‭[1]‬

Reducing Fire Risk in Sacramento County Parks