Forest Care Program Extended through December 2013

The reimbursement program that has helped landowners create healthier, more fire safe forests on their property has been granted another season to offer assistance to our mountain communities.

Landowners within the San Bernardino National Forest still have a chance to meet with one of Forest Care’s professional foresters for a free property evaluation and voluntary enrollment in the reimbursement program. Forest Care has been granted, by the US Forest Service, another six months to ensure that those who are interested will have a chance to treat their property with Forest Care. Forest Care will continue to schedule new appointments with any interested landowners into the beginning of this fall.

“We are thrilled to have a bit more time to finish out The Forest Care Program, “explained Forest Care Director Julie Crick. “This extension will allow us to continue to schedule appointments through the summer months of 2013. All aspects of the program will be carefully coordinated to ensure enrolled landowners are able to have their project work completed and a reimbursement request submitted by our new deadline of September 15, 2013. The September deadline is in place to guarantee Forest Care has enough time to inspect completed projects and provide reimbursement funds to participating landowners before the grant expires in December 2013. However, Crick urged landowners who are currently enrolled in Forest Care to get their projects completed as soon as possible, regardless of the extension, to avoid running into the new deadline.

Forest Care is funded through a grant from the US Forest Service and is delivered in partnership by the Southern California Mountains Foundation and CAL FIRE. Forest Care’s mission is to create forest-friendly communities by reducing fuels and provide good examples of thinning trees to healthier densities on privately owned land. Forest Care is one of the many fuel reduction efforts undertaken by the Mountain Area Safety Task force (MAST) to make the mountains a safer place to live in and visit.


The Forest Care Program has been assisting property owners with the cost of thinning and pruning their trees since its introduction to the mountain communities in 2006. To date over 4,000 landowners have successfully completed Forest Care on their property. Property owners will be reimbursed up to 75% of the cost of thinning their properties when they participate in the Forest Care Program.


To schedule a free property evaluation with a professional forester, call the Forest Care office at 1-888-883-8446. To learn more about the Forest Care Program visit our website: http://mountainsfoundation.org
and check the forest care section.