County-Wide Chipping Program

The chipping program is available to all Plumas County residents.

2025 Chipping Dates​
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Funding is provided by CAL FIRE

• ​We will be unable to provide an exact date and time the crew will arrive to perform the chipping, so be sure to have your pile ready ahead of the start date for the chipping session you have signed up for.  
• If your pile is easy to find and constructed following our guidelines there is usually no need to be present for the visit. (except for unique circumstances such as locked gates, pet management, etc.)
• If you are "Waitlisted" we will make every effort to get your pile chipped as long as grant funds are available.  The chipping may occur outside the scheduled time frame for your particular community, but it should happen shortly after those dates.
• If you are unable to have your pile ready in time please cancel your reservation through the Manage Reservation link in your confirmation email.  This will save the contractor time, fuel, and it may open up an opportunity for a waitlisted client to get their already constructed pile chipped.

Service Area:	Round 1:	Round 2:
Twain, Indian Falls, Taylorsville, Genesee, Greenville, Lake Almanor, Chester	May 27 - June 6 ​	Oct 13 - 17
Quincy, Meadow Valley, Butterfly Valley, Bucks Lake, Greenhorn, Cromberg, Sloat	June 9 - 13	Oct 6 - 10
Graeagle, Plumas Eureka, Clio, C-Road, Mohawk Vista, Valley Ranch, Smith Creek Ranch	June 16 - 20	Sept 22 - Oct 3
​Gold Mountain, Portola, Lake Davis, Chilcoot, Vinton, Grizzly Ranch	​June 23 - 27	Sept 15 - 19
La Porte	-	Oct 7

The Community Chipping Program operates strictly during the weeks scheduled for each community, aside from servicing waitlisted participants.  Each parcel owner can participate on a first come first served basis and every effort will be made to provide service to anyone that may end up on a waitlist.  There is no requirement for the property to have a structure on it to qualify for the program, only adequate access for a pickup truck towing a chipper.  Preparing your piles well in advance of the chipping date is recommended.  Don't construct your pile within your defensible space area!  If the chipping service is delayed you don't want dry material next to your home during fire season.

Guidelines:

The Plumas County Fire Safe Council provides no-cost chipping for up to 16 linear feet of material that is no more than 4 feet high and made of natural materials that are between 3 and 12 feet in length.  If your pile is larger than the allotted size, the operator will leave the excess material unchipped.

To ensure that your piles are chipped:

• Build neat piles with all cut ends facing toward the street or where the chipper will be operated
• Make sure that your piles contain no rocks, metal, mud, poison oak, scotch broom, vines, blackberries, or building materials
• Locate piles on level ground, or on the uphill side of the road, outside of drainages
• Build piles in areas that can be easily accessed with a truck hauling a 15 foot long chipper.
• For operator safety, only include materials that are longer than 3 feet in length
• "Loose" piles are preferable to tightly packed material
• Be respectful of the contractors’ time

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Our program is NOT able to chip:

• Roots or decaying wood
• Pine cones, pine needles, leaves, or yard clippings
• Piles that are over 4 feet high or built over standing vegetation
• Large diameter materials that will not fit through the chipper opening - 8 inch diameter maximum due to potential damage to the equipment.
• Short pieces that will endanger the chipper operators
• Piles constructed or compacted with mechanical assistance (i.e. with a tractor)

                                     Example of a well built pile:                                                                                                           Example of a poorly built pile:

online application >

The Plumas County Fire Safe Council provides chipping services:
as an alternative to pile burning - benefiting air quality and reducing risk of escapes
as an alternative to dumping - reducing costs and hauling for residents and keeping green waste out of landfills
as an alternative to no action - incentivizing the creation and maintenance of defensible space

Contact Gary Parque or Darrell Webster:
Email: [email protected] or [email protected]
Gary 530-927-5335, Darrell 530-214-3888 (FAX:  283-5465)
P.O. Box 1225, Quincy, CA 95971 

If you would like to make a tax-deducible donation to support an annual Chipping Program please send a check to Plumas County Fire Safe Council, Attention: Matt West, PO Box 1225, Quincy CA 95971
Alternatively you can use the secure PayPal button below (please note that PayPal reserves a portion of your donation)

Click Below to Download:

Guidelines for Creating Defensible Space

The Plumas County Fire Safe Council provides this program with funding from the CAL FIRE California Climate Investment Fire Prevention Fund