Frequently Asked Questions
Who is eligible to participate in the chipping program?
All residents that access Hwy 1 between Malpaso Creek and the San Luis Obispo County line.between Malpaso Creek and the San Luis Obispo County line.
What is a cost share and how much will it cost?
A cost share is the amount that residents will pay to participate in the chipping program. The amount - yet to be determined - will be influenced by the final budget allocations in the CAL FIRE agreement, the cost of chipping contractor(s), and the number of days of chipping. We plan on a modest annual fee to participate in the chipping program.
When will the chipping program start, and what months will it operate?
Our anticipated start date of Q1 2025 will be contingent upon when we complete licensing agreements with CAL FIRE and contractors. The chipping program will be year-round, though the months that it will be active will depend on resident demand. We will send out one or more surveys in the coming months to ask for resident input.
How often can I have chipping done and how much can I have chipped?
This will be determined by resident demand. Initial targets will be assigned based on resident survey responses.
What services will be provided?
Chipping only. Chips will be broadcast or piled - they will not be hauled away. Residents are responsible for all other defensible space activities, including-but-not-limited-to trimming, limbing, felling trees, dragging slash to a roadway accessible by the chipper, stacking slash neatly in a pile (butt-ends facing the roadway).
What types of vegetation can be chipped?
Most branches and tree trunks of 10" in diameter or less.
What cannot be chipped?
Succulents, poison oak, vegetation covered in dirt or intermixed with rocks, machine-piled slash (stacked with a tractor or other mechanical equipment), old slash piles interwoven with vines.
How do we request/schedule chipping?
We will use the ESRI ArcGIS applications developed for the Big Sur Chipping Pilot Program.
How will weather, road closures, fires or other events affect the availability of chipping?
The chipping program will be flexible, adjusting to local conditions and resident demand.
We live on the (Big Sur) South Coast - is chipping available to us?
Yes. All residential communities that access Hwy 1 between Malpaso Creek (Hwy 1 mile marker 70) and the San Luis Obispo County line (Hwy 1 mile marker 0) are eligible to participate.
Will you chip in Palo Colorado Canyon?
Yes. All residential communities that access Hwy 1 between Malpaso Creek (Hwy 1 mile marker 70) and the San Luis Obispo County line (Hwy 1 mile marker 0) are eligible to participate.
Who will conduct the chipping?
A Big Sur contractor (to be announced) will perform the work. One or more Program Managers, also Big Sur residents, will manage scheduling and other day-to-day operations.
Will other Big Sur organizations participate in the chipping program?
We're discussing possible collaborations.
