[Scpg] Best permaculture design ideas for fire country?

[thelandstudio]

Douglas Kent's book Firescaping may be even more up to date. He does include a great list of edibles. Watch out for introducing non-native invasive species in the urban wildland interface. Several firescaping publications list many invasives on their OK to use lists, for example - acacias and pyracantha and some of the ice plants. Truly assess where you are located and what is adjacent to your property. If your property is closer to town, you may consider using some of these species. If wildlands are closer by, considering not using them.

Don't get locked into any one program or philosophy. Look at all possible considerations and think common sense and best management practices!. Basic items for considerations: where is the property located (canyon, hillside etc), soil structure, wind exposure, sun exposure, water/irrigation availability (this could include water storage, rainwater collection etc., potential for erosion, shade issues for structures, growing food, ornaments, materials to be used on the ground plane, hardscape structures and  materials (decks, over heads etc.) accessibility for emergency vehicles to access you property, maintenance,  ordinances and zoning to name a few.

Avoiding fire laddering and be diligent with on going maintenance. Both are crucial.

I think blending permaculture zoning and those of firescaping and hydrozoning are most helpful. They seen to dovetail in a logical way. the food forest concept may have to altered so that tree canopies are not touching or laddering

An earlier e-mail questioned why not use other Eucalyptus species...? Basically do not use any plant material that is known to be highly flammable within a firescape if you don't absolutely have to. There are so many available plant species available , why risk it.

Other resources: Topanga Canyon has an emergency coalition web site with good information, City of Santa Barbara Firescaping Garden (may have burned) but there are lots of lists circulating throughout the state on various websites. Many local firedepartments will have links to these sites.

Oaks will typically come back from a fire even if severely burned. Give them time.

Studio Landscape 
Kathy Nolan, Pres.
439 W. El Roblar Dr.
Ojai, CA 93023
805.646.8384
P Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail



In a message dated 11/20/08 09:56:05 Pacific Standard Time, Permacltur writes:
I've been lurking on this thread for a while expecting someone to mention Maureen Glimore's book.  No one has so I've dug out a post I sent to my online permaculture class when we were covering Design for Catastrophe.  Since the book was written in California and based on California experience, you folks should know about it.

Edited post below:


"Cynthia found one of the books Maureen Gilmer gave to me after she interviewed me for her radio program, several years ago.  The title of this one is The Wildfire Survival Guide (with an extensive subtitle) © 1995, Taylor Publishing, 1550 Mockingbird Ln., Dallas TX  75235 (USA).  ISBN: 0-87833-901-9


Thumbing through the book just now, I see numerous species lists, including fire resistant species with three degrees of resistance indicated, plants to AVOID in a firescape, etc.  

This book is the best single treatment that I have seen.  It is endorsed by the National Commission on Wildfire Disasters, though it does not seem to list the address of that Commission. Maybe someone in the class will do a web search.

The address of the (US) National Interagency Fire Center IS provided.  

While the book is more or less biased toward information relevant to the California Sierra Nevada region, most of the information is broadly applicable or can be easily transposed to other places where slightly different species may be best suited and where landforms and climate are different.  The book definitely addresses all climate zones, but Maureen naturally writes about what she knows best.

Dan"

I hope that this is helpful.

For Mother Earth




Dan Hemenway



-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Our 13th Annual Permaculture Design Course Online begins Sept. 28, 2008. The protocol for our Annual Permaculture Design Course Online is at http://www.barkingfrogspermaculture.org/protocol8_4_08.pdf Simultaneously, we will begin a concurrent Permaculture Design Clinic Online, serving people who mainly wish to design their own homes.

A complete list of Yankee Permaculture publications by category may be downloaded from:

http://www.barkingfrogspermaculture.org/YPCpublicationsbycategory.pdf



**************
One site has it all. Your email accounts, your social networks, and the things you love. Try the new AOL.com today!(http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100000075x1212962939x1200825291/aol?redir=http://www.aol.com/?optin=new-dp%26icid=aolcom40vanity%26ncid=emlcntaolcom00000001) 
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://www.permaculture-guilds.org/pipermail/southern-california-permaculture/attachments/20081121/ea11b2d3/attachment.html>