What You, as a Citizen, Can Do:

• Prepare your property
  Follow the “defensible space” rules: clear brush, prune limbs, remove dead vegetation close to your structures. Use fire-resistant landscaping near your home.  Limit use of potentially carcinogenic weed control substances.
  
  

• Engage in risk assessments and support volunteer efforts
  Ashland has a Wildfire Risk Assessment Program where trained volunteers help residents understand their home’s fire risk and suggest improvements.
  
  

• Stay informed & speak up
  Track public meetings about use of chemical substances, such as RoundUp (glyphosate), in land management practices, care of the watershed and forest health, ask questions, and show support for projects that reduce risk — chemical spraying, thinning, burns, restoration.
  
  

• Support funding & local action
  Advocate for city or community budgets to include fuel reduction, forest management, and watershed restoration, not just during crisis years.
  
  

What You Should Demand from City and Forest Managers

• Transparent plans & timelines
  Demand to see clear schedules of where thinning, removal of dead trees, prescribed burns, and replanting will occur — plus maps showing priorities.
  
  

• Balanced approach & ecological care
  They need to balance removal with habitat protection, erosion control, watershed health, and replanting with species more suited to hotter, drier climate.
  
  

• Public engagement & accessible communication
  The city should host neighborhood forums (in parks, libraries) to explain risks, share options, and take feedback. Use visuals, easy language, and share tradeoffs.
  
  

• Monitoring & accountability
  Require regular updates on how many acres treated, how many trees removed, how watershed indicators (water quality, stream flows) are doing, and how risks evolve.
  
  

• Secure & dedicate funding
  Ask for ongoing funds — not just crisis grants. Encourage long-term budgeting, grant matching, and exploring state/federal funds to support forest health and water infrastructure.
  
  

Why All This Matters for You & Your Neighbors

You live here. You drink this water. You breathe this air. When fire risk is high, everyone’s safety is at stake — and the damage is not just in the forest, but in homes, infrastructure, health, and our quality of life. If we don’t act smartly and proactively, future fires may cost much more — in dollars, in recovery, in loss.

But if city leaders work transparently, engage residents, and carry out thoughtful forest and watershed management, Ashland can become stronger, safer, and more resilient. Your voice matters: demand care, support action, be part of the change.