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CHIPPING

OJAI & SANTA PAULA WILDFIRE SAFETY CHIPPING PROGRAM

FREE CHIPPING TO REDUCE RISK OF WILDFIRE FOR THE WHOLE COMMUNITY

SERVING OJAI, SANTA PAULA, MEINERS OAKS, MIRA MONTE, OAK VIEW, CASITAS SPRINGS, FOSTER PARK, AND SURROUNDING AREAS

To date, The C.R.E.W. has

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  • Assisted over 100 Low income Senior, Disabled and/or Veteran residents with annual Hazardous vegetation removal

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  • Cleared 75 Acres of Hazardous vegetation

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  • Chipped over 10 tons of material

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  • Provided chipping services for 120 properties/ landowners/ residences

Chipping at the C.R.E.W
Chipping at the C.R.E.W

Requirements:

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  • Accepting tree branches/trunks up to 6” in diameter and woody shrubs.

  • Materials must not be stacked within 10 feet of fire hydrants, utility poles, transformers, water meters/lines, gas meters/lines, and other critical infrastructure. 

  • Pile cannot exceed 4ft x 9ft, cut ends must face the roadway.

  • Piles must be free from metal, plastic, rope, and any other non-vegetative debris.

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Failure to adhere to program rules may result in exclusion from current and future chipping services.

 


We’re sorry, but we cannot chip the items listed below:
 

  • Piles of Leaves, Pine Needles, or Yard Clippings

  • Poison Oak

  • Decaying Wood

  • Arundo, bamboo, tamarisk , palm trees and fronds

  • All Varieties of Broom

  • Commercial Properties, Timber Harvest Projects, Commercial Projects or Vacant Lots

  • Blackberries/Vines/Anything with Thorns

  • Root Balls, Stumps, Dirt, Rocks ,or Twigs

  • Cacti, vegetable plants and other soft vegetation

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Households are welcome to participate in both curbside and drop-off events, and to participate multiple times.

DROP-OFF CHIPPING

 
There is no pre-registration for drop-off days.  Bring your secured green waste between 8am and 1pm, and C.R.E.W. staff will take care of the rest.  Please note that only eligible green waste that is not mixed with other materials will be accepted.  You will not be able to take chips back home in order to prevent the spread of tree pests and disease.
 

The C.R.E.W. reserves the right to cancel, shorten or delay drop off events with or without notice, due to but not limited to weather, community response or equipment issues.  While we make every effort to accomodate the community with this free service, the health and safety of our youth employees is most important.

2024

DROP OFF 

DATES

8 AM - 1 PM

 

April 20
May 18
June 22
July 20
August 17
September 21

CURBSIDE CHIPPING 


Registration in advance is required, and you may sign up for multiple visits. Curbside chipping begins at 8am each day; please plan to have your material stacked and ready the night before. Piles can be no larger than 4 ft by 9ft and and must be piled correctly with cut ends facing the road way. The C.R.E.W. will not pull onto you property or drive way to chipp material. All chipped material will be left on the property with no haul away service provided. 
 

SIGN UP FOR CURBSIDE CHIPPING

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The following requirements must be met in order for us to chip at your location. We reserve the right to refuse chipping service with no prior notification if we arrive and these requirements are not met.
 

  • Chipping piles need to be stacked along a road or driveway frontages, which will allow the crew to work from the road or driveway.

 

  • Piles must be placed within 5 feet of chipper access.

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  • Piles must be placed on level ground or on the uphill side of the road or driveway.

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  • Piles must be free of metal, debris, roots/stumps, rocks and mud, poison oak, scotch broom, and blackberries and other vines.
     

  • Piles must be stacked with the cut ends facing the same direction, pointing towards access route to piles. Heaviest materials should be on the bottom, lightest material on the top.

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  • Your pile must not exceed 4 feet x 9 feet, we will spend a maximum of 1 hour per property.

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  • Material can be up to 6 inches in diameter and needs to be at least 3 feet in length. The longer the better for the crew – easier to feed through the chipper.

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  • All materials chipped will be blown back onto the property or put in a pile where the brush was stacked.

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  • The C.R.E.W. will provide service on a first-come, first–served basis. 

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  • The C.R.E.W. cannot clean up commercial properties, timber harvest projects, commercial projects, vacant lots, etc.

SUPPORT THE CREW

The C.R.E.W. provides employment and leadership training to teens and young adults through hands-on environmental work.  Since 1991, C.R.E.W. members work year-round to maintain trails, restore habitats, and reduce the risk of wildfire, while building skills and developing relationships that last a lifetime.

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