Firewise & Chipping

We are a Firewise Community and take actions as a community to mitigate fires. Here’s the latest full Community Firewise Assessment that was completed for Arrowwood III and our latest program certificate. To maintain our program status every year as a community we host Chipping Days and provide opportunities for community members to be trained.

County easements are measured 30 ft from the center of the street on each side. Our streets are the natural fire-breaks that firefighters will use when a wildfire occurs. The AIA III Firewise easement mitigation work, scheduled twice each year, involves clearing or thinning trees and vegetation along roadsides approximately 10-20 feet from street edge. Volunteers are always needed to help make our neighborhood a safer place to live, and easier to defend when wildfire comes to our area. Watch here for future easement mitigation and chipping day dates. 

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommends preparing your home for fires by treating the three zones surrounding your house and paying attention to tree spacing. What are ladder fuels?  More information is on their website.  With the proper fire mitigation actions, your property can be saved when a wildfire occurs.

Arrowwood III Chipping Days 2025 Schedule: TBD

If you are interested in helping with or have any questions regarding this effort, please contact Steve Merveldt.

An alternative to our community volunteer chipping event is use of a local Slash Disposal. These are also great alternatives to smaller items like pine needles and small branches that cannot be handled during our Chipping Days.

 

AIA III SPONSORED SEMI-ANNUAL CHIPPING

Updated March 2024

Notice to all Arrowwood III Homeowners:
Most of you are aware that the Arrowwood III HOA sponsors two Slash Chipping Day events each year, one each Spring and Autumn. In addition to keeping our community pleasant, esthetically, this work is a requirement to maintain our “Firewise” community certification. This certification can directly influence our homeowners insurance as well as ensure emergency vehicles have ingress/egress to our neighborhood when wildfire situations occur.

For a couple of years, the HOA hired tree service providers to do the chipping of slash piles. However, this approach became very expensive – $1200 or more, per event – and difficult to contract. For the last 3 years we have reverted to a volunteer approach with the HOA renting a chipper or coordinating with Monument Fire Department to use their chipping machines free of charge.

These AIA III sponsored chipping events are aimed at doing all we can to reduce the possibility of a devastating fire event in our neighborhood. These events are entirely volunteer run – including AIA III Board members, AIA III property owners, and Monument Fire Dept personnel.

To continue to be as fiscally responsible as possible and leverage volunteer resources in the best possible ways, here are the requirements for those who want the chipping day volunteer crew to process their slash pile:

1) Property owner MUST be a member in ‘Good Standing’. This typically means all Association Dues are current, and the property owner has complied with any identified Covenant issues or directives from the Board.
• If property is not in Good Standing, the Association volunteer crew will NOT chip any slash on that property, unless:
• Property Dues are brought current prior to chipping day, or…
• Owner pays cash up front at a rate assessed by the Chipping Boss of the day starting at $75 for first 15 minutes of chipping, or more depending on the amount of slash to be chipped.

2) Property owner must have their slash pile out and ready by 8am on the chipping event date.
• All slash piles MUST be at the edge of the main roads, butt ends out, neatly piled, and fully accessible by truck and chipping machines without having to back in or out. If NOT, your slash may not be chipped. Random or mixed orientation piles will be charged a minimum of $20.
• Slash piles should be on your own property. Do not combine piles with your neighbors.
• ONLY TREE LIMBS / SMALL (less than 6inch diameter) TREE TRUNKS should be included in a slash pile. Slash that does not comply with size restrictions will NOT be processed and homeowner must remove this flammable material within 2 weeks of chipping day.
• NO “DUFF” (piles of pine needles, or small branches) will be collected. Crew will leave such duff for homeowner to remove, via their own trash service. Removal of duff material MUST happen within 2 weeks of chipping day. If not removed, a surcharge of $35 will be assessed at end of 15 days with an additional $25 charged each 30 days of non-compliance. Surcharges will be assessed monthly as long as piles remain.
• If chip piles from previous chipping day events remain on the property, the current slash pile will NOT be chipped. Homeowner will have 15 days to remove all slash and/or chips. If not removed, a surcharge of $35 will be assessed at end of 15 days, with an additional $25 charged each 30 days of non-compliance. Surcharges will be assessed monthly as long as piles remain.
• Homeowners may request that chips from that day’s processing be left in piles on their property, by contacting Lonnie Wheeler or Steve Merveldt PRIOR TO CHIPPING DAY. Any chips piled on the property MUST be spread out (including removal from the road easement ditch) within 2 weeks of chipping day.
• Often the processed chips are loaded into dump-trailers and hauled out of the neighborhood. If a dump location outside our neighborhood is not available, all chips may be blown back onto the owner’s property, at the Chipping crew’s discretion. Any chips piled on the property MUST BE REMOVED or spread out (including removal from the road easement ditch) within 2 weeks of chipping day.

3) Property owner MUST participate in the chipping of their own slash pile, or surcharges will be issued. Without proper clothing and footwear, a property owner may be asked to not participate in their slash pile processing. This requirement is for the safety of all participants, and to mitigate possible HOA liabilities.
• ALL PARTICIPANTS MUST WEAR LONG PANTS, CLOSED-TOE SHOES, EYE AND EAR PROTECTION. If you don’t possess eye or ear protection, the crew may be able to supply that equipment. Chipping machines are very loud and can be dangerous. We stress safety and do not want anyone hurt.
• NO children allowed. The chipping machines used for processing slash piles can be extremely dangerous and this event is not child-friendly. Please keep children away from slash piles, chipping equipment, and volunteers.

Homeowners who do NOT assist/participate in the processing of their own slash will be charged a minimum of $25 plus an additional charge based on amount of slash to be processed:

• Small slash piles that take the volunteer crew less than 5 minutes to process, and where the homeowner does not participate, will incur a $25 charge.
• Medium slash piles that take the volunteer crew less than 10 minutes to process, and where the homeowner does not participate, will incur a $50 charge.
• Large slash piles that take the volunteer crew longer than 15 minutes to process, and where the homeowner does not participate, will incur a $75 charge.
• Piles that are stacked randomly (cut ends not stacked neatly and facing the street) will be charged an additional $25.
• SENIORS and/or Physically Disabled Homeowners: If you are physically unable to participate but need the volunteer chipping service, please notify Lonnie Wheeler or Steve Merveldt PRIOR TO CHIPPING DAY to request exemption from any charge. However, slash piles must meet the configuration identified above. If not, homeowner will be charged a minimum of $25.

We appreciate all residents who work with us towards wildfire risk reduction!

The Arrowwood III Firewise Committee:
Elizabeth Mayo
Steve Merveldt
Lonnie Wheeler
Heather Sharp