General Info

 

Left unchecked, the continuing vegetation growth (and overgrowth) is a Timberton Village concern for a number of reasons.  The recent walkabout focused on some important and pressing near-term need.  Thanks to all those neighbors who joined in to help develop and implement a positive vegetation plan.  At John’s request, I’ve created the following picture summary so we can begin to address the removal and cutback of these identified areas.

The removal and clearing up implementation is twofold.  One, by soliciting bids by independent landscape type folk (including our current landscape crew) and/or Two, by calling for neighbors and generating a few Timberton ‘volunteer vegetation’ days – spread out over the next few months.  The anticipated, and continuing benefit of this village sustaining effort, is the mitigation of potential wildfire fuel and a maintaining of a clean and well-maintained neighborhood appearance – supporting a neighborhood standard and retaining home values.

The following areas are the most ‘noteworthy’ for pursuit.

(1)   All along Timberton Drive edging.  Berries and horsetail growth.  Obscuring and hiding a complementary forest view.  Clearing can be scheduled for once or twice a year and possibly made part of our existing contract.  This could also be a great ‘hands on’ volunteer ‘Weed Wacker’ project twice a year.

(2) Dead tree at trail head.  Volunteer project.  Cost = trailer and landfill.  Once done it’s gone.

(3)  Two clumps of dead and dying berries.  Clear it all away – one time.  Replant area with grass seed and possibly forest ferns.  Extend current landscape contract to include in standard maintenance.

(4)  Timber Ridge – Dead tree, one time removal and one time limbing of lower tree branches to get them off the ground.

(5)  Berries behind the mailbox on Heritage.  Possibly a onetime removal with annual or bi-annual periodic ‘trim’.

(6)  The hill slope behind the rail on Timber Meadow.  Top to bottom.  Should be included in contract as it’s already, supposedly, covered to clear it up.

(7)  Berry patch on Timber Meadow downhill.  New green growth topping over a bed of dead berry vine.  A definity fire hazard.  Focus on removal and replacement with forest ferns and grass.  Area already on current contract.  Redefine that task needed to amend current contract.

Please note.  This is a continuing foundational village effort.  Long term and repetitive.  It carries over from one board to the next.

Roger

There were some outdated links to fire and weather information that have now been updated. Check them out here.

Timberton Memo

4/19/2025

The focused intent of these village ‘wildfire’ involved efforts, is to provide a pro-active awareness that complements our basic standards of community value improvement.  In this specific situation the suggested guidance is two-fold: (a)  “reducing wildfire risks in the ‘home ignition zone’; and (b) reducing the naturally occurring fire fuel vegetation (dead and dying overabundance of visible growth).  

The earlier memo (4/17/2025) introduced the availability of a home site survey to be conducted by our local Jefferson County Fire and Rescue team  https://wildfireready.dnr.wa.gov/.  The invited participation walkabout focused on identifying as much of the naturally occurring overgrowth of ‘fire ready’ fuel, dead and dying vegetation, as readily identified and viewed from the street.  The complementary purpose to the community is the reduction of and removal of the of potential ignition vegetation in the common areas.

The walkabout was joined by a large group of our neighbors.  The participation fully underscored the importance of pursuit.  Wildfire preparedness toward making the community safer establishes a foundation of continuing and future value.  As it takes an involved village to build a community, and I’d like to thank all of you who joined together for the visual overview.  

In Summary – Noted actions (a) & (b):

1. Individual homeowners are encouraged to contact the fire survey team directly.  We have 78 homes and residents in the Timberton community.  The greater the number of individual participants involved, the greater the potential mitigation of damaging fire destruction.  The success of this effort will be determined by how many individuals are motivated to follow through.

    

2. The walkabout identified areas of dead vegetation and multiple areas of dead and overgrown vegetation suggested for clearing and removal.  Timberton Drive; Heritage Lane; Timber Ridge Drive; Timber Meadow Drive, and the entry ‘road’ beyond the chain at the parking area ‘top of Timberton.   Addressing the removal of some of the vegetation can be readily achieved by a volunteer effort.  However, most will require a more aggressive pursuit, beyond pulling in community volunteers, possibly outsourcing to a landscaping entity; or a combination of the two.  To be determined.

Moving Forward:

The next step is to note and list each individual area to be addressed.  This will be accomplished by your board and supported by pictures and perimeter measurements.  Each site will have it’s unique identifier so we can address the outsourcing bid to be incremental and/or individually priced and scheduled.  Planning ahead will take into consideration cost, time allocation and the importance of sequencing in volunteers if available. We’ll keep you posted and current.

Two Notes of Involvement Interest:

1. We will put out a call for volunteers.  The call will be project site specific and set up to sequentially accomplish the removal and reduction of the noted sites; possibly additional areas as may be added.  We will also present a cost analysis of possible 3^rd party funding out of our current budget.  Cost allocations to be presented to the village for board approval.

    

2. To further the comment that it ‘takes a village to build a community’.   Forthcoming board elections. 
   • Three members of our 5-person board of directors will be ‘term ended’ in June.  Participation and interest focused on getting involved will be on the table again in May where we will be inviting interested parties to submit a resume’ of their desire to run for the board.  A minimum of 3 pro-active individuals is being sought for running for the board.    The term is 2 years.

More to Come … Roger

4/17/2025

One of the reminders forthcoming from yesterday’s walkabout is knowing the opportunity to have your individual home site surveyed by our Jefferson County, East Jefferson Fire and Rescue resource. As the risk of wildfires increases in Jefferson County, East Jefferson Fire Rescue (EJFR) has expanded its campaign to provide residents with wildfire prevention information. Some of our neighbors have already had the benefit of a having a visit by Robert Wittenberg. The visit is individual home specific and worth the time and assurance it brings. Click the link below.

PREPARE YOUR PROPERTY, PROTECT YOUR NEIGHBORS. Wildfire preparedness isn’t one-size-fits-all. That’s why we’ve developed a simple survey to help your local wildfire experts craft a Wildfire Ready Plan just for you that works for your property, budget, and lifestyle.

 

Roger

The focus of tomorrow’s ‘walk about’ is to identify visible (from the street) dead and dying underbrush (ladder fuels). The purpose for the community is both visual and functional. That which not seen from the street will not be addressed by the community walk about, especially dead underbrush, dead trees and dead overgrown berry patches behind the home. The area behind the home site, not visible from the street, is more specific for the individual homeowner, including dead underbrush in the common area behind the individual residence.

There are costs involved for any community-wide activity. Activity addressing the possible removal of, and cutting down of, and the hauling away of, visible dead undergrowth will be addressed as a voluntary participation at a minimum cost to the community; therefore, addressed primarily to community ‘visible’ discoveries, including ‘partially visible’ instances. Areas not visible from the street will not be pursued or included in the walk-about.

As to possible nonvisible inclusions and of concern for the individual homesite. As a result of our initiating the ‘walk about’, there are also expressed concerns forthcoming from individual homeowners where dead and dying underbrush – ladder fuels – is growing in the common area approximate to the rear of the homes. These areas of concern are still the responsibility of the homeowner. However, and depending upon how ‘successful’ the volunteer effort is in resulting participation, this same volunteer community effort can be joined with and extended to the individual homeowner’s and their unique condition possibly addressed. To be determined.

We hope that this helps toward setting up tomorrow’s walk. 2 pm at the head of Timberton Drive.

As a follow-on note. Regardless of what and where the dead undergrowth exists, there will be no invasion of any individual homeowner’s privacy or security concerns.

Roger