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San Mateo RCD details neighborhood chipping dates, Zone 0 guidance and two funded fuel‑reduction projects
Summary
The San Mateo Resource Conservation District told the Midcoast Community Council it will run neighborhood chipping in late May, explained Zone 0 ember‑resistant guidance and flagged funded fuel‑reduction projects on Highway 92 (summer) and Highway 1 (fall); the RCD also said a multi‑county forest health project goes to the Coastal Commission the next day.
Timothy Federal, a representative of the San Mateo Resource Conservation District, told the Midcoast Community Council on March 11 that the district will run its annual neighborhood chipping program for the Midcoast this spring and encouraged residents to sign up early.
"May 26 will be the date for, chipping in El Granada, Moss Beach in Monterra," Federal said. He directed residents to sign up at sanmateorcd.org/chipper and noted a QR code will appear on mailers. Federal summarized program limits: "the maximum diameter of what can be chipped is 8 inches, and the piles need to be no more than 10 feet wide, 10 feet long, and 5 feet high." He cautioned that collection can take multiple days depending on participation.
Nut graf: The RCD framed the chipping work as a low‑cost way to help homeowners create defensible space ahead of fire season, and used the presentation to preview larger projects the district is advancing in partnership with Caltrans and state agencies.
Federal said participation varied across neighborhoods last year — about 50 households in Monterra and seven in El Granada — and invited council members to suggest outreach strategies for increasing signups. Local volunteers and websites such as Coside411 were proposed as distribution channels.
The presentation moved from residential chipping to regional projects. Federal said the RCD expects to publish a regional priority plan for the Santa Cruz Mountains this week; the plan lists candidate projects intended to position them for funding. Two funded projects were highlighted: a fuel break along Highway 92 (between Highway 35 and I‑280) expected this summer, and fuel‑reduction work along Highway 1 north of the tunnels, expected in the fall. Federal said both efforts are collaborations with Caltrans and will aim to reduce hazard trees and improve evacuation routes.
On the subject of local regulation, speakers discussed a proposed "Zone 0" requirement — an ember‑resistant area within five feet of structures. Bernette Silbera, a resident of El Granada, urged more education so neighbors understand impending enforcement. Federal said Coastside Fire Protection District would be the enforcing authority if it adopts Zone 0 regulations and that the RCD’s role is technical assistance, not advocacy.
During the discussion, Scott Bollinger referenced state direction on accelerated adoption of ember‑resistant zones: "Governor Gavin Newsom's executive order in February 2025 focused on enhancing wildfire community hardening measures ... the executive order accelerates the adoption of zone 0 regulations," an item a council member read from a CAL FIRE slide he attended.
Federal also told the council that a multi‑jurisdictional forest‑health project proposed by state parks, spanning San Mateo and Santa Cruz Counties and using the RCD public‑works plan and the California Vegetation Treatment Program (CalVTP), was scheduled for a Coastal Commission hearing the following day.
The RCD offered follow‑up: site visits and technical assistance (fire@sanmateorcd.org) and pledged to send slides, maps and public‑meeting dates to the council for posting and broader outreach.
Ending: The RCD presentation closed with invitations for questions and commitments to return with implementation details and outreach materials as the chipping mailers and public meetings are finalized.
