The Forest Care Program has been granted another season to offer assistance to mountain communities.

Landowners within the San Bernardino National Forest still have a chance to meet with one of Forest Care’s professional foresters for a free property evaluation and voluntary enrollment in the reimbursement program.

Forest Care has been granted six more months — through December 2013 — to allow Hill property owners another chance to treat their property. Forest Care will continue to schedule new appointments with any interested landowners into the beginning of this fall.

“We are thrilled to have a bit more time to finish out The Forest Care Program,” explained Forest Care Director Julie Crick. “This extension will allow us to continue to schedule appointments through the summer months of 2013. All aspects of the program will be carefully coordinated to ensure enrolled landowners are able to have their project work completed and a reimbursement request submitted by our new deadline to receive reimbursement requests, which is Sept. 15, 2013.”

The September deadline is in place to guarantee Forest Care has enough time to inspect completed projects and provide reimbursement funds to participating landowners before the grant expires in December. However, Crick urged landowners who are currently enrolled in Forest Care to get their projects completed as soon as possible, regardless of the extension, to avoid running into the new deadline.

Through Forest Care, property owners will be reimbursed up to 75 percent of the cost of thinning their properties. The Forest Care Program has been assisting property owners with the cost of thinning and pruning their trees since 2006. To date there have been more than 4,000 landowners that have successfully completed Forest Care.

To schedule a free property evaluation with a professional forester, call the Forest Care office at 1-888-883-8446. To learn more about the Forest Care Program visit mountainsfoundation.org/forest-care.

Forest Care is funded through a grant from the US Forest Service and is delivered in partnership by the Southern California Mountains Foundation and CAL FIRE. Forest Care’s mission is to create forest-friendly communities by reducing fuels and providing good examples of thinning trees to healthier densities on privately owned land.

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