Who do you contact?
We’re in the home stretch for influencing the BOF zone 0 regs
We believe that the ground is shifting…..that the Board of Forestry has heard the urgings of the governor, members of the state legislature, county and city officials and members of public groups like ours.
The Zone 0 Advisory Committee meets on Thursday, October 23rd and on Monday, November 3rd. The full Board of Forestry is scheduled to meet on Tuesday, November 4th. Input from local elected officials and the public can ensure that Vegetation Option 4 and Tree Option 2 - the options with the most flexibility, are in the final adoption.
Four different options have emerged for what types of plants or landscaping can be included in this 0–5 foot area:
Option 1 – Some plants in pots allowed • No flammable landscaping materials are permitted, including grass, shrubs, mulches, etc. • Exception: potted plants (under 18 inches tall) are allowed if kept away from walls, windows, and vents.
Option 2 – Some plants in pots and low, maintained vegetation allowed • Same as Option 1 but also allows low plants under 4 inches tall (like moss or lawns) if kept away from walls, vents, and windows.
Option 3 – Some plants, in pots or planted, allowed • No flammable landscaping materials are permitted including dead or dying plants, mulches, etc. • Plants 18 inches or less are allowed as long as they are spaced appropriately and not directly beneath, above, or in front of windows, doors, or vents.
Option 4 – Well maintained plants allowed • Allows plants in pots and other vegetation in Zone 0 but prohibits dead or dying plants, needles, leaves, weeds, and combustible mulches.
Two options are under consideration for the inclusion of trees within 5 feet of buildings:
Tree Option 1: Well-maintained trees allowed, local tree protections included. • Branches must be at least 5 feet away from walls and above roofs and 10 feet from chimneys. • Includes exceptions for trees protected by local ordinance.
Tree Option 2: Well-maintained trees allowed, branches must be 10 feet from chimneys • Nearly identical to option 1 but does not reference local tree ordinances and only stipulates that branches must be ten feet away from chimneys.
How to Participate: The Board invites public input on this draft rule and the options captured here. Comments can help shape the final regulation that best balances safety and effectiveness for California homeowners.
Submit your comment to PublicComments@bof.ca.gov
Suggested Language for comment:
I urge the Board of Forestry to adopt Option 4 – Well Maintained Plants Allowed and Tree Option 2 – Well-Maintained Trees Allowed in the final rule language for Zone 0 vegetation standards. Together, these options represent a balanced, science-informed, and community-supported approach to wildfire risk reduction.
Option 4 appropriately prioritizes maintenance and condition over categorical prohibitions. By allowing healthy vegetation and potted plants while prohibiting dead or dying plants, dry debris, weeds, needles, and combustible mulches, this framework maintains the defensible space goal of minimizing flammable materials near structures without eradicating all vegetation. Research and defensible space best practices consistently show that well-maintained, moisture-rich vegetation presents low ignition potential and contributes to soil stability, cooling, habitat for birds and pollinators, and neighborhood enjoyment.
Similarly, Tree Option 2 provides a clear and practical standard for tree management—allowing trees in Zone 0 provided that branches are maintained at least ten feet from chimneys. This option avoids unnecessary conflict with local tree ordinances while ensuring compliance with core fire safety principles. Retaining healthy, well-maintained trees also supports shade retention, erosion control, habitat protection, and community character.
Adopting these maintenance-based options encourages shared responsibility and ongoing care, rather than one-time compliance or removal mandates which will come at a great cost and be followed by weed growth and neglect. It creates a defensible space policy that residents can realistically maintain, limits costs, supports environmental stewardship, and reduces enforcement burdens by focusing on observable conditions—dead materials, proximity to ignition sources, and lack of maintenance—rather than making fire jurisdictions into potted plant police.
Ventura county board of supervisors meeting
Send your written comments to the Clerk of the Board by Monday, October 20th.
clerkoftheboard@ventura.org
Supervisor Gorell is recommending that the Ventura County Board of Supervisors
adopt a resolution urging amendments to AB 3074 and the State Board of Forestry's Zone 0 regulations
to restore local discretion, funding, and flexibility.
It is item 40 on the agenda for Tuesday, October 21st.
See complete agenda item at this link:
https://ventura.primegov.com/Portal/Meeting?meetingTemplateId=23440
The resolution ends with the following:
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Board of Supervisors of the County of Ventura hereby urges the California Legislature to amend AB 3074 (2020) and the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection to revise the draft Ember-Resistant Zone 0 Defensible-Space Regulations prior to adoption to:
1. Restore local discretion and authority to tailor defensible-space standards and modify Fire Hazard Severity Map designations based on local conditions and verified mitigation;
and
2. Ensure adequate State funding for inspection staffing, homeowner assistance, and public-education programs; and
3. Implement phased, regionally adaptable timelines for compliance that align with community capacity and available resources.
Suggested written comment themes….
Tell the Ventura County Board of Supervisors why you do not support the current Board of Forestry draft of the Zone 0 Regulations and how they will impact you. Include some of the following:
The BOF is not using the most up to date Wildland Urban Interface science
The current draft uses one-size-fits-all rules written by timber experts who know very little about our much denser urban and suburban neighborhoods
The draft treats all plants as hazards, failing to admit that healthy, green vegetation has many benefits and poses little risk.
Tell the supervisors about the heartbreak of removing landscaping that cools your home, attracts birds and pollinators, and provides so much joy.
Share your concerns about the expenses you will endure to bring your property into compliance
Tell them how these regulations pit homeowners against fire jurisdictions and will cost local government and homeowners a great deal of money to enforce.
The full September draft of the regulations is available on our Zone 0 Requirements tab.
Concerned community members should do these five things -
Encourage the Board Of Forestry (BOF) to clarify the current language. The regulations are poorly written and confusing.
Encourage BOF to reexamine its draft language - making sure the best Wildland Urban Interface science is being used and providing local fire jurisdictions with the flexibility they need to meet local situations and standards.
Ask all local and state decision makers for up-to-date, independent scientific justification before accepting their proposal to eliminate ALL vegetation in the 5ft Zone 0.
Pressure Ventura County decision makers to inform the public, advocate for regulations that make sense for our communities, and urge the BOF to include flexibility and up-to-date independent science in their regulations .
Prepare to participate in the adoption of local standards that make sense for our community and provide real protection against the threat of wildland urban interface fires.
Common sense asks:
From LA City Council
● Exempt healthy, hydrated and well-maintained vegetation that is “not likely to be ignited by embers”: The moisture content of vegetation is far more predictive of fire spread than the presence of vegetation.
● Focus on maintenance and irrigation: Well-maintained and well-hydrated vegetation in Zone 0 is not a source of fire spread and is consistently shown to slow fire progress.
● Prioritize fire adapted native plant species as appropriate: Because they evolved with fire, some native plants offer protective qualities such as thicker bark and greater moisture retention that can limit a fire’s ability to spread.
● Explicitly exempt locally protected native trees and shrubs from all tree regulations: These plants are essential for biodiversity and in most cases, adapted to and resilient to fire.
● Explicitly exempt historic and heritage trees: These majestic trees can define a neighborhood and their size makes them unlikely to burn in a fast-moving wildfire.
● Explicitly exempt living municipal street trees: Live, well-maintained municipal street trees should not be subject to mandatory removal within Zone 0, consistent with current L.A. Municipal Fire Code. If well pruned and maintained the threat is minimal in most cases, but the loss of shade would be devastating, especially to tree-poor communities.
● Allocate targeted defensible space resources for dead tree removals and hazardous limb mitigation.
● Acknowledge and integrate urban water cycle benefits of street trees into defensible space and vegetation management policy.
● Allow for an appeals process: Special cases for particular trees or circumstances should be allowed the possibility of additional consideration.
● Move away from a one-size-fits-all approach: An urban area in chaparral vegetation should not be treated the same as a rural setting in a coniferous forest—the strategies to reduce fire risk are not the same and the risks are inherently different.
● Fund educational campaigns on vegetation management and home hardening: Because vegetation maintenance and home-hardening are more reliable predictors of survivability, funds should be directed to education in these areas.
● Give flexibility to local fire departments and their inspectors: Fire inspectors regularly assess the condition of vegetation and the likelihood it will contribute to the spread or intensity of a fire. We should respect their expertise and allow them to do their jobs.
● Ban artificial turf by name from defensible space: An earlier draft of the Zero Zero proposed regulations called for the ban of artificial turf from Zone Zero, but this was removed at the behest of lobbyists. Restore a ban for this product from all defensible space, as artificial turf has the highest heat generating index of any building material, and it releases toxic fumes during a fire that threaten the health of first responders.
The California board of Forestry and Fire Protection
The California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection (BOF) is the body responsible for crafting the risk mitigation requirements for Zone 0 (first 5 feet) Very High severity zones (red), and in the case of Ventura County, those standards will also apply in High Severity Fire Zones (orange).
The Board of Forestry Current Meeting information
Board of Forestry Meeting Agendas and Annual Schedules
The Zone 0 Advisory Committee to the California Board of Forestry & Fire Protection met on Monday, August 18th at 10am. Click on the link to the webpage.
Board of Forestry and Zone 0 Advisory Committee meetings are audio only webinars. Public participation is open and available for all webinars. *Please note: each meeting is a separate registration.
Submit written Public Comments to: PublicComments@bof.ca.gov
The Zone 0 Advisory Committee to the California Board of Forestry & Fire Protection meeting schedule. It’s Audio Only dial in. They last met on 8/18. September 23-24 is listed as the next date.
Submit Written Public Comments to: PublicComments@bof.ca.gov
Website: https://bof.fire.ca.gov/business https://bof.fire.ca.gov/projects-and-programs/defensible-space-zones-0-1-and-2
Submit Public Comments to: PublicComments@bof.ca.gov
Why reach out to Jacqui Irwin? The California State Legislature passed bills controlling the risk mitigation requirements for fire severity zones. Assembly Bill 3074 (AB 3074) was approved by the Governor and Chaptered by the Secretary of State on September 29, 2020.
Assemblymember Irwin sent a letter to the BOF asking for regulations that move away from one size fits all. She is a respected voice in Sacramento. Urge her to continue to apply pressure.
Website: https://a42.asmdc.org/
Governor Gavin Newsom
Why reach out to Gavin Newsom? In February 2025 Governor Gavin Newsom directed the State Board of Forestry to accelerate its work to adopt regulations known as “Zone 0,” which will require an ember-resistant zone within 5 feet of structures located in the highest fire severity zones in the state.
The Governor can extend the timeline beyond January 1, 2026 to give time for the BOF to work with concerned scientists and community organizations.
Why reach out to Supervisor Gorell’s office? The Ventura County Board of Supervisors controls the Ventura County Fire Department. They serve as the fire district's board of directors and appoint the fire chief.
The BOS can discuss the concerns and communicate those concerns to the BOF.
Jeff Gorell organized the TOWN HALL panel on Zone 0. He knows the issues but has not taken a position.
Phone Number: (805) 241-2510
Email: District2@ventura.org
Additionally, you can connect with Supervisor Gorell’s office through our social media channels for updates, news, and community engagement:
Why reach out to Ventura County Fire Department? The County Fire Department is responsible for the Fire Hazard Reduction/mitigation Program for all areas of the Conejo Valley/Thousand Oaks and most other cities in Ventura County.
Fire department leaders have contacts at the Board of Forestry. They can pick up the phone and say - we’re hearing from a lot of concerned homeowners. Maybe you should tap the breaks on the ‘green plants are the problem’ parts of the regs.
For general questions about community wildfire preparedness, you can reach the FHRP Unit at fhrp@ventura.org or 805-389-9759
They have a lot of information on their website.
Thousand Oaks
City Council
Why reach out to Thousand Oaks City Council Members? The City of Thousand Oaks contracts with the County of Ventura for police and fire services and communicates regularly with residents regarding community priorities.
The impact of these regulations on City of Thousand Oaks residents will be extraordinary. It will cost us many millions of dollars and diminish our quality of life without making our neighborhoods demonstrably safer. Ask them why they are not willing to stand up for us.
Link to contact information https://toaks.gov/citycouncil
David Newman
dnewman@toaks.gov
(805) 449-2103
Mikey Taylor
mtaylor@toaks.gov
(805) 449-2101
Al Adam
aadam@toaks.gov
(805) 449-2102
Bob Engler
bengler@toaks.gov
(805) 449-2105
C. Tie Gutierrez
tgutierrez@toaks.gov
(805) 449-2104
COSCA
Conejo Open Space
Conservation Agency
Why reach out to COSCA? The Conejo Open Space Conservation Agency preserves, protects, and manages open space resources in the Conejo Valley.
Open spaces touch most Thousand Oaks neighborhoods and are a key element of the Wildland Urban Interface. If the Ventura County Fire Department establishes alternatives for fire risk mitigation, changes in the management of open space are likely to be included. https://conejoopenspace.gov/
COSCA was created in 1977 by a joint powers agreement between the City of Thousand Oaks and the Conejo Recreation and Park District, in order to coordinate land use planning and policy decisions, and facilitate open space acquisition, management, and conservation according to the goals identified in the City’s General Plan.
2025 Board Meeting Schedule
October 29 - Special Meeting on Fire Mitigation
November 19 - Regular Meeting
Board Members
Bob Engler - Thousand Oaks City Council bengler@toaks.gov
David Newman -Thousand Oaks City Council dnewman@toaks.gov
Chuck Huffer - CRPD Board of Directors - Email: chuffer@crpd.org
Doug Nickles - CRPD Board of Directors - Email: dnickles@crpd.org
Dorothy Sullivan - Public Representative
Suggested questions for decision-makers:
Have the ecological consequences of a 5-foot ember proof - plant free - zone been considered? Air quality and outdoor temperatures are improved by irrigated vegetation. Urban birds depend on vegetation that is close to homes. Suburban lots don’t have 10ft, 20ft, 30ft spaces to move plants away from homes. These regulations could result in elimination of vital vegetation.
Why isn’t there a Zone 0 distinction made between well irrigated and maintained plants that are resistant to combustion and help protect properties versus dry or dead vegetation?
AB 3074 stated an intention to take “into account property owners’ financial resources and the scope of work necessary to achieve compliance.” What does that mean? Will there be financial incentives for hardening properties against fire? Tax credits? Direct assistance for low income residents?
Who will enforce the Zone 0 regulations? Who will pay for that enforcement? What will happen to a property owner who is unable or unwilling to comply?
What are the data sources showing that a 5-foot “no-plants hard zone” meaningfully prevents structure fires in the Wildland Urban Interface? Plants can serve as ember screens and as temperature reduction vehicles. Why is this published science not being seriously considered?
Will the adoption and enforcement of these standards be tied to guaranteed reductions in insurance costs and a pause in cancelation of fire insurance for residents in very high and high fire severity zones?
How many homes will be impacted by the new regulations? What is the average cost of compliance per home estimated to be?
Can someone explain the Zone 0 language on trees in plain English?
Will BBQ size propane tanks be allowed within 10 feet of a home? The current draft appears to restrict LPG tanks to a distance that will reach beyond the property line for many suburban homes. Won’t moving the BBQ away from the home place it close to wood fencing and the neighbor’s home?
Wouldn’t homeowners’ limited resources be better spent ember proofing attics and replacing wood gates and fencing, well-documented routes for high wind event fires to spread from home to home?
If you add up the costs of Zone 0 mitigations for millions of homeowners, wouldn’t that be enough money to bury powerlines, the actual cause of most Wildland Urban Interface fires?
What’s the evidence that potted plants catch homes on fire? Not in front of windows or glass doors? There is no way that an irrigated plant in a pot is going to breach the glass. That is a high heat event.
How will local HOAs and their existing rules be brought into line with the Zone 0 requirements? Will these fire hazard regulations supersede HOA bylaws? How much will it cost HOAs to have them rewritten let alone enforced?
Who is capturing the feedback from residents that attend community information meetings regarding Zone 0 requirements? Is that feedback provided to the BOF or local fire jurisdictions?
A TOWN HALL was held on Wednesday, September 17th in the Conejo Valley. Click on the button above to view the meeting. After each panelist presented, Supervisor Gorell asked them some questions followed by questions from the public. 200 people attended in person and many more viewed the live stream.
The panelists are listed below.
J. Lopez, Board Member, California Board of Forestry & Fire Protection
Yana Valachovic, Scientist with the University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources Fire Network
Steve Hawks, Senior Director of Wildfire, Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety
Stephen Watson, Executive Director, Ventura Regional Fire Safe Council
Joe Morelli, Fire Marshal, Ventura County Fire Department
Dr. Betsy Connolly, Community Leader, Zone Zero Conejo Valley Community Group
Greg Rubin, best-selling author, horticulturist, retired aerospace engineer