Westridge Fuel Reduction Maintenance completed July 2025
August 8, 2025
Fuel reduction maintenance was completed at Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve ('Ootchamin 'Ooyakma) mid July 2025. This work was necessary to maintain the shaded and complete fuel break that was initially created along the preserve’s boundaries to mitigate wildfire risk beginning Fall 2023 with hand work and chipping, and completed with pile burning March 2024.
Figure 1. Before image (left) and working crews (right) as they cut vegetation in chaparral fuel break at Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve ('Ootchamin 'Ooyakma). (Photo by Jasper Ridge staff)
The prescription for this work was similar to the initial treatment: rearrange fuels in the understory to less than 6 feet using a masticator and hand crews with chainsaws to a distance of about 50 ft from the fence line extending the whole southern border of the preserve where the most vegetative growth has occurred. The fuel break was expanded or reduced to accommodate for areas of retention or following topography and access. Hand crews were used in the most sensitive areas because the crew of six were able to work slow as they selectively removed vegetation and worked around research plots to carefully maintain select habitat features (e.g. woodrat/small mammal habitat), protecting sensitive species (e.g. western leatherwood and bewildering bushmallow), minimize ground disturbance, and protect against potential erosion with material that was lopped and scattered to be left on site (Figure 1). A remote masticator was used in areas of dense poison oak and also functioned as a chipper by mulching and distributing material cut by the handcrews (Figure 2). Overall, the contractors were expected to operate within the mission of JRBP ('O'O) to promote research, education, and conservation, while also mitigating fuel risk.
Figure 2. Contractor operating a remote masticator during fuel reduction at Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve ('Ootchamin 'Ooyakma). (Photos by Jasper Ridge staff).
Ultimately, wildfire risk mitigation has and always will be a collaborative effort. We thank our main campus partners from the Stanford Wildfire Resilience team. We also thank our neighbors along Westridge who work on fuel reduction efforts on their adjacent properties, and especially neighbors who have helped us with access during our fuel reduction work. And we are grateful for the constant support from the Woodside Fire Protection District.
Header picture: Before and after along fence looking east from Escobar gate. Work completed with hand crew and masticator. (Photo by Jasper Ridge staff).
Sheena Sidhu, Stewardship Scientist, Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve ('Ootchamin 'Ooyakma)
