(KRON) — East Bay Regional Park District completed a 3-year-long project removing and thinning trees across 667 acres in Anthony Chabot Regional Park.
The project was described by park officials as a large-scale eucalyptus removal effort aimed at preventing catastrophic wildfires.
“In some areas, half of the trees were either dead or showing signs they would die within a year. The condition was caused by extreme drought and climate change,” park officials wrote.
(Photo courtesy East Bay Regional Park District)
Eucalyptus trees are known for being highly flammable. Dead trees burn hotter, faster, and can cast embers long distances, Park District Assistant Fire Chief Khari Helae explained.
“Sudden tree die-off was an emergency for the Park District,” Helae said. “We immediately saw the need to ramp up fuels reduction to mitigate the threat of potential wildfires. We can’t prevent all ignitions, but we can lower the intensity of fires by reducing fire fuels.”
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Park District General Manager Sabrina Landreth said, “The Park District has a deep understanding of the dangers and destruction wildfires can bring after experiencing the 1991 Oakland Hills Firestorm.”
The multi-million-dollar project was funded through federal and state agencies.
Goats graze at Cottontail Trail in Anthony Chabot Regional Park in Castro Valley. (Photo by Cali Godley via EBRPD)
Hazardous fuel reduction efforts continue, with large projects planned or underway at Tilden, Claremont Canyon, Anthony Chabot Regional Parks, and Leona Canyon Open Space Regional Preserve. In addition to human-powered crews, goat, sheep, and cattle graze 86,800 acres of parks in East Bay Regional Park District annually to reduce vegetation.