Community Wood Chipper Program

Thank you to the many residents who participated in our Summer 2024 Chipper Program! The program is now closed for the season. We look forward to updating you on our 2025 program next year.

CREATE DEFENSIBLE SPACE AROUND YOUR HOME WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD CHIPPER PROGRAM!

Did you know you are legally required to remove flammable vegetation from a minimum of 30 feet and up to 100 feet on all sides of your home depending on fire risk?

The Neighborhood Chipper Program assists residents in maintaining defensible space by providing no-cost chipping to our community. The program is based on a “you cut, we chip” model. After clearing brush and small trees from around your home, residents can participate by bringing branches, limbs, and other woody vegetation to the designated drop-off location in Prince Park this August OR by piling vegetation on the curbside if local chipping is available in your neighborhood this year.

Before stacking your vegetation curbside OR hauling your vegetation to Prince Park, please note:

• The chipper cannot take raked duff, pine needles, grass or garbage bags.
• Only vegetation is allowed - no other items will be accepted.
• A maximum of 9” diameter rounds can be chipped.

Neighborhood Pick-Ups

As part of this FREE program, the City will be bringing a wood-chipper to three Northwest Petaluma neighborhoods during June/July. Residents in the following neighborhoods can leave cut branches, tree limbs, and vegetation on their curb for pickup on the following dates:

Zone PTL005A: Leave vegetation curbside on June 16 for pickup the week of June 17

Zone PTL005B North: Leave vegetation curbside on July 14 for pickup the week of July 15

Zone PTL005B South: Leave vegetation curbside on July 21 for pickup the week of July 22

These neighborhood zones are based on Petaluma's evacuation zones. Enlarge the map below to see if you qualify for local vegetation pick up.

PFD_ChipperProgramPlanning_2024Map

All-Community Vegetation Drop-Off: August 2024

If you are not in a designated participating neighborhood or are not able to participate during your neighborhood's pickup window, you can still keep your property fire safe by bringing vegetation for chipping to our all-community drop-off site. To help you reduce the fire-fueling vegetation around your home, the Petaluma Fire Department will have a chipper and crew available to the entire community at Prince Park from August 1 through August 31.

Here’s how it works: this August, you cut and remove the dangerous fire fuels from around your home and haul it to our clearly-marked site at Prince Park. Then our crews will take over and dispose of the debris.

Live Outside City Limits?

Permit Sonoma has a free chipper program for residents of unincorporated Sonoma County. Please visit Permit Sonoma's page here for more information.

Questions?

Have any other questions? Email Amy Segui, Assistant Fire Marshal, at [email protected] or call the Fire Prevention Bureau at (707) 778-4389. Thank you for helping keep Petaluma Fire Safe this year!