Palos Verdes Estates, CA
Home MenuFire Safety Weed Abatement
🔔 Update: As of July 17, 2025
A new updated map has been provided to reflect current fire safety weed abatement activity. Click the map below to view a larger version:
2025 Citywide Fire Safety Weed Abatement
Bay Area Tree Specialists is providing fire safety weed abatement / brush clearance services for the City of PalosVerdes Estates (City), and the brush clearance is expected to occur from June through September 2025.
The working hours are Monday through Thursday from 7 AM to 7 PM, Friday from 7 AM to 5:30 PM, and Saturday from 9 AM to 5 PM, excluding City observed holidays.
SCOPE OF WORK
The purpose of the weed abatement work is to provide a defensible space in the first 20 feet from property lines, and consists of the following:
- All vegetation listed below adjacent to property lines are to be removed in the first 20 feet from the property line starting at 1 foot from the property line.
- All hedges and continuous plants (some plants may be retained if sufficient spacing in between plants or trees can be created by removing trees or plants, such as removing two ficus trees to keep one ficus tree that is part of a hedge)
- All dead and flammable vegetation and trees
- All invasive plants, weeds and ornamental non-native plants identified as threats to the health and safety of the Parklands.
- Native and ornamental trees and shrubs that are individually planted can be retained provided they are cut back, limbed up and thinned out.
-
Please note that weed abatement services differ from landscape maintenance services and are performed by different vendors. Weed abatement services have the goal to complete more of a clearing of an area, such as clearance that is needed to reduce flashy fuels and to create spacing between shrubs and trees and reduce fire risk, and weed abatement services are completed once per year. Alternatively, landscape maintenance services are for more manicured and more detailed areas throughout the City and are completed periodically throughout the year.
NO PARKING AND CLOSING YOUR WINDOWS -
When the brush clearance activities are underway, there may be “No Parking” signs posted on streets indicating the specific dates work will be performed in the Parklands or public paths near your home. If parking restrictions are required, they will be posted 48 hours prior to the work being performed. During the time crews are present and the work is being performed, access to paths and Parklands may be limited.
-
On the day of the brush clearance activities, please be sure to remove your vehicle from the street by the posted time shown on the “No Parking” signs. Observe the date(s) on the signs carefully.
-
Please keep windows and doors closed to reduce airborne debris entering the home when the work is being performed.
CONTACT INFORMATION
If you have any further questions, please contact:
March 2025 Fire Safety Weed Abatement and Brush Clearance
Heads up PVE, get ready to see some new landscapers in town! Herds of goats will begin conducting weed abatement in four high-priority areas in the City, starting with Valmonte Canyon on March 13. This comes as a result of the City Council moving forward with key measures to address fire risks in the City.
Goats will begin clearing brush in areas of Palos Verdes Estates as part of an effort funded by the office of Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn to reduce fire risk on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. 900 goats will be used to conduct weed abatement in 37 acres of Palos Verdes Estates parklands in canyons and hard to reach hillside areas in four zones deemed extremely high priority: Valmonte Canyon and the Palos Verdes stables, Lunada Canyon, the hillside between Via Boronado and Espinosa Circle, and the hillside below Via Pinzon and Mirlo Gate House. On March 13th, 400 goats will begin clearing brush in Valmonte Canyon which is estimated to take between a week and a week and a half to complete with additional goats placed in the other locations next week. The work is expected to be completed by the end of March.
2024 FIRE SAFETY WEED ABATEMENT AND BRUSH CLEARANCE
Bay Area Tree Specialists has provided fire safety weed abatement / brush clearance services for the City of Palos Verdes Estates. The brush clearance is occurred from July 2024 through October 2024.
If you have any questions about the upcoming weed abatement work, please contact:
Berlyn Pimentel
Engineering Assistant
(310) 750-9821
The purpose of the weed abatement work is to provide a defensible space in the first 20 feet from property lines, and consists of the following:
- All vegetation listed below adjacent to property lines are to be removed in the first 20 feet from the property line starting at 1 foot from the property line.
- All hedges and continuous plants (some plants may be retained if sufficient spacing in between plants or trees can be created by removing trees or plants, such as removing two ficus trees to keep one ficus tree that is part of a hedge).
- All dead and flammable vegetation and trees.
- All invasive plants, weeds and ornamental non-native plants identified as threats to the health and safety of the Parklands.
- Native and ornamental trees and shrubs that are individually planted can be retained provided they are cut back, limbed up and thinned out.
For information on the details of the clearance categories, please refer to the Frequently Asked Questions document.
Please note that weed abatement services differ from landscape maintenance services and are performed by different vendors. Weed abatement services have the goal to complete more of a clearing of an area, such as clearance that is needed to reduce flashy fuels and to create spacing between shrubs and trees and reduce fire risk, and weed abatement services are completed once per year. Alternatively, landscape maintenance services are for more manicured and more detailed areas throughout the City and are completed periodically throughout the year. For more information on landscape maintenance services, please visit the City’s Landscape Maintenance webpage
The City is located in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone designated by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and is susceptible to wildfire risks. To mitigate wildfire risks, brush clearance, and fire breaks are necessary to provide defensible space for structures. To meet this need, the City contracts weed abatement services.
For information on the requirements that the City must adhere to for the weed abatement services, please refer to the Frequently Asked Questions document.
When the brush clearance activities are underway, there may be “No Parking” signs posted on streets indicating the specific dates work will be performed in the Parklands or public paths near your home. Parking restrictions will be posted 48 hours prior to the work being performed. During the time crews are present and the work is being performed, access to paths and Parklands may be limited.
Please help ensure the implementation of the brush clearance activities are successful by observing the following best practices during working hours, which are Monday through Thursday from 7 AM to 7 PM, Friday from 7 AM to 5:30 PM, and Saturday from 9 AM to 5 PM, excluding City observed holidays:
- On the day of the brush clearance activities, please be sure to remove your vehicle from the street by the posted time on the “No Parking” signs. Observe the date(s) on the signs carefully.
- Please keep windows and doors closed to reduce airborne debris entering the home when the work is being performed.