Agoura Hills urges board to take a balanced, science-based approach to proposed Zone 0 rules

Agoura Hills — The City Council voted 5–0 to send a letter to the California Board of Forestry urging that any new Zone 0 defensible-space regulations be science-based, proportionate, and allow local discretion.

Mayor Penny Sylvester, who requested the item, said proposed language under consideration at the Board could be interpreted as requiring removal of all vegetation within the first five feet of structures statewide — an outcome she called overly broad and potentially harmful to biodiversity, urban canopy and homeowner costs. “It could potentially remove all vegetation within the first 5 feet of any structure in California,” the mayor said, and warned that such an outcome would be impractical and expensive for many residents.

Council members emphasized support for aggressive home hardening measures — such as ember-resistant construction and gutter protections — while urging the board to avoid a blunt, statewide ‘no‑vegetation’ approach. Community commenters and the council cited scientific literature on defensible space and the role of Zone 0, with one speaker (Jay Crutcher) asking that council rely on peer-reviewed studies and consider the seasonal risk fluctuations that make defensible-space prescriptions context-dependent.

The council’s approved letter asks the Board of Forestry to: prioritize policies grounded in peer-reviewed science; preserve environmentally appropriate native vegetation where it can reduce fire risk; provide implementation flexibility for local jurisdictions and homeowners; and ensure fair enforcement and an appeal process. The council asked staff to forward the letter and to continue tracking the Board’s rulemaking.

Next steps: Staff will send the adopted letter to the Board of Forestry and continue monitoring forthcoming Board meetings and proposed regulatory text.