Title: "Vegetation Management Almanac for the East Bay Hills"
Authors: Danielsen, C. W.; McClure, R.; Leong, E.; Kelley, M.; and Rice, C.
Publisher: Hills Emergency Forum, a consortium of eight local governments.
Distribution through: East Bay Regional Parks, Environmental Education Center, Tilden Park.
Phone: (510) 525-2233
Length: 142 pages, 62 full color illustrations.
Price: $25

The Almanac is designed to promote native plant and wildlife habitat when conducting vegetation management for fire hazard reduction in the urban-wildlife intermix zone. The project brought together authors with different backgrounds to look at techniques and timing for solving vegetation management problems, as well as identifying species to protect, to retain, to control or to diminish.

The ultimate goal of the authors is to nurture vegetation management that moves toward converting areas to stable plant communities with favorable fire behavior characteristics. Generally, they favor removing non-native plants, especially those that are weedy or fire-prone, and allowing native plants to move in and take their place.

Six simplified plant "communities" are analyzed - grassland, north coastal scrub, oak/bay woodland, Eucalyptus plantations, Pine plantations, and disturbed places. These communities are further analyzed with charts, for example - the "bad" plants (when it is most effective to control them); and animals using the "community" (when they are most vulnerable).

Those who have used drafts of the almanac in planning vegetation management have had high praise for its professionalism and utility, especially in identifying plants. Color illustrations include 40 species of plants to manage, 12 desirable species easily confused with pest plants and 7 case studies.