Genesee Slash Pickup May 23 Deadline

Wildfire benefit: The standard recommendation for pruning conifers to reduce wildfire risk is to limb up 10’, or at least 1/3 of the tree height. Ideally, this will prevent a low intensity surface fire from reaching the treetops and becoming a high intensity crownfire. Removing small trees, other ladder fuels and fallen branches from the forest floor will also help reduce a surface fire’s intensity and resultant flame length.

Community piles: New this year: When we have fewer piles that are larger in size, it reduces our travel time and ultimately reduces our cost. Larger piles can be quickly loaded onto a truck with a machine, whereas smaller, separated piles must be hand loaded; a slower process. Fewer large piles will make the entire slash pickup process happen more quickly. If you can, PLEASE COORDINATE WITH YOUR NEIGHBORS TO CREATE LARGE PILES IN A SINGLE, ACCESSIBLE LOCATION. For example, there might be seven homes on a private drive and those seven neighbors can coordinate to place all of their slash at the top of their private drive. If you would like to help out in that way but are unsure about a good location, please contact our Open Space Manager, Brian Maillett. He’ll work with you to find a good spot.

Arrangement of piles: If it’s not possible for you to put your slash in a group pile and you need to create your own, please place your pile(s) of branches where you would normally have your trash picked up. Please arrange the slash so that the cut ends are stacked and facing the road. Please do not put piles in the drainage ditches along the sides of the road or on blind corners and keep the piles clear of the paved road surface.

Important: Any slash piles that have construction materials, excessive dirt, trash or any metal within them will not be picked up. 

Please do not include limbs that exceed 8” in diameter or 5” in length. If you have larger limbs like these or entire trees to be removed, contact our Open Space manager for recommendations for tree pruning/removal contractors.

Please have your slash at your curbside by the end of the day on May 23. By doing that you are improving the cost-efficiency of this important annual project. If you place your slash pile after Tuesday, May 23, it will not be picked up.

Logistics of pickup: Starting the morning of May 24, Genesee Foundation staff will inventory all residences, list those with eligible slash piles and direct the hired chipping contractor to only go to those addresses to collect those piles during the week of May 29 to June 5. This procedure reduces our costs significantly compared to asking the contractor to drive by every address in the community with their dump truck and chipper. If your pile is out on May 23 but has not been picked up by June 5, please email Brian Maillett at brian@geneseefoundation.org starting on June 6.

This event will be documented for Genesee’s annual Firewise certification. Please fill out this quick, five-question survey to help us maintain that certification by using the link below.