With care, dead limbs may be removed at any time from coniferous trees.  Late winter to early spring is the preferred time to prune live limbs before the growing season begins. Proper pruning techniques will minimize damage and support wound closure if limbs are removed in sub-optimal periods.

Make pruning cuts just outside the branch collar to avoid damaging the trunk and compromising wound responses. Support the branch with one hand while you make the cut to prevent the bark from ripping. If a large limb is to be removed, its weight should first be reduced, using a three-step method pictured.

If a large limb is to be removed, its weight should first be reduced, using a three-step method pictured. If a large branch must be shortened, prune it back to a secondary branch or a bud.

Preventing ground fire from spreading to the tree canopy is a crucial measure in reducing wildfire risk. This is achieved by eliminating the vegetation near the dripline of a tree that can act as a “ladder,” connecting ground fuels to the canopy.

The dripline of a tree is the area located directly under the outer circumference of the tree branches.  Imagine drawing a circle on the ground around a tree that follows the tips of the tree’s furthest branches.  Everything within that circle is inside of the tree dripline. Now, imagine drawing a second, concentric circle three feet beyond, or outside, of the dripline circle. This second, outer circle represents the imaginary boundary known as “3 feet beyond the dripline” of a tree. 

All bitterbrush and manzanita underneath the dripline and within the zone that extends 3 feet beyond the dripline (the shaded area in the image pictured) shall be removed according to the Sunriver Ladder Fuels Reduction Plan.  

Not without a permit and SROA approval. With the exception of noxious weeds, alteration or removal of any vegetation on commons requires a permit from SROA and a liability waiver.

Complete a Tree/Vegetation Removal Request for staff to review removal or alterations and issue a permit.

It's much better to have a woodpecker drilling a hole in a nearby dead tree than your house! 

Some dead trees and logs may stay where they are as they are part of a natural forest environment and wildlife habitat. Dead trees are vital to cavity dwellers and birds who only nest in dead trees.

Resembling a trident, three well-separated teeth on the end of the small (¼ to ½ inch) leaf provide bitterbrush with its scientific name (tridentata) and most distinguishing feature. The leaves have a hairy surface that gives the entire plant a dusty green appearance. 

The shrub shape can vary considerably from low, twisted, and spreading, to upright and heavily branched. The older stiff, woody branches are grayish in color while new growth can have a reddish color. 

Bitterbrush blossoms are small, sweet-smelling, yellow flowers (five petals on each flower). It will begin to bloom in early spring and will lose its leaves in the fall. Sometimes you can find a few leaves still holding onto the plant in the winter months which can help for identification that time of year.