Volunteers sought for upcoming ladder fuel trail area clean up days April 12, 16
Fire resiliency. It’s a hot topic these days, especially given how California seems to be in a perpetual fire season. Folsom is lucky in that we have all the urban amenities and are surrounded by nature with native oak woodlands interspersed with picturesque creeks. But when our hot summers arrive, creeks run dry, and brushes and grasses dry out.
Those extreme dry conditions coupled with low-hanging branches, ivy creeping up trees, and tall grasses and shrubs are what we call a fuel ladder. It’s anything that can cause a fire to move upward into the tree canopy and quickly spread. You’ve probably heard the term “defensible space” used often in forested communities. Well, the same needs to happen in an urban forest like Folsom.
That’s why fuel ladder removal projects like what the Friends of Folsom Parkways recently led are so important to make our city more fire resilient. Last month, volunteers from the local nonprofit removed brush, ivy, and other invasive plants along the Willow Creek trail behind Dos Coyotes restaurant to clear trail areas from fire hazards.
Over the past 30+ years, Friends of Folsom Parkways has served as a steward to Folsom’s nearly 60 miles of trails, educating the public about our parkway system, working with thousands of volunteers on trails maintenance and beautification projects, and advocating for trail improvements and additions. These fuel ladder removal projects are the very types of fire control efforts that need to happen on a regular basis across the parkway.
“We’ve got over 1,000 acres of open space in Folsom, and limited City staff and resources to devote to removing fire hazards. That’s where organizations like ours come in to help. Our board of directors works closely with the City and our Adopt-a-Trail volunteers to identify areas that need significant clean-up. We can then prioritize these community service projects, which is one of the core tenets of our organization,” says Glenn Hermanson, Special Projects Director for Friends of Folsom Parkways. “We were founded on the premise of giving back to this special community, taking care of our trails, and putting hands to work where we can make an impact.”
Over 15 volunteers, including several high school students, came out to cut low-hanging branches, remove dried brush, and clean up the trail.
Friends of Folsom Parkways has plans to host two more fuel ladder removal projects on April 12 from 9am-12pm and on April 16 from 4-6:30pm (locations to be determined). You don’t need any special skills to volunteer – all you need is a can-do spirit and a desire to help our community. There are jobs for everyone! For more information or to sign up, contact Glenn Hermanson at specialprojects@friendsoffolsomparkways.org.
The Friends will also be helping with a fuel ladder project during the City’s Earth Day Celebration event on Saturday, April 26 from 8am-11am. Volunteers are needed to help with this and many other trail cleanup projects. You can also learn more about Friends of Folsom Parkways at the Earth Day Festival at Prospector Park, happening from 10am-2pm.
Fire spreads incredibly quickly, so when you can keep it on the ground it helps slow the spread. Our parkways are home to many heritage oak trees and serve as habitat to a myriad of wildlife. They weave through our neighborhoods, so it’s imperative to maintain our trails. We want to protect our beautiful parkway system and even more importantly keep our City safe.
The more we can do to prevent wildfire, the better.
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