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Firewise Community Program
Firewise USA Recognition & Wildfire Risk Assessment
The National Firewise USA Recognition Program provides a critical framework to help communities strengthen their defenses against wildfires. This initiative empowers neighbors to collaborate, establish proactive strategies, and implement decisive actions to reduce wildfire risks and enhance the ignition resistance of homes and properties at the local level.
The Firewise USA Program, administered by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and co-sponsored by the USDA Forest Service, the U.S. Department of the Interior, and the National Association of State Foresters, is a voluntary but essential program for communities seeking to improve their wildfire preparedness.
Yellowtop Mountain Estates has proudly maintained its status as a Firewise Community "In Good Standing" by consistently meeting key voluntary criteria each year.
As part of our commitment to wildfire safety, we conduct an annual wildfire risk assessment in collaboration with Western North Carolina’s wildfire mitigation experts and forestry representatives. This assessment is free of charge and provides vital insights into reducing the vulnerability of our homes and landscapes to wildfire threats.
We urge all community members to take advantage of this opportunity.
Contact the Firewise Coordinator today to schedule an assessment or inquire about the program.
Your participation is crucial in ensuring the ongoing protection and resilience of our community.
Greetings fellow Yellowtop residents,
This is Scott Conklin and I am your Firewise coordinator, during my recent assessments for the community I kept noticing a new invader we have here in our mountain. Not any 2 or 4 legged invader but this one comes in plant form, I am talking about a very highly invasive and non native tree, known as The Tree of Heaven. Quite an ironic name considering there is nothing heavenly about them. You might notice them as they have a very tropical look to them and seem out of place in our forests, that is because they are out of place. They are a native tree to Asia and were first used by contractors in new building as they grow extremely fast and do not require any care.
According to the Forestry service they have been banned in many states as they take over native forests. If you are unfamiliar with the tree I have added some pictures and there are several YouTube videos identifying them and how to manage them. It is certainly not required that any of us has to do anything about them, but as property owners it would serve our entire community well if we tried to eradicate as many as possible. I have cut down several on my own property. This is more or less a public service announcement but please feel free to contact me with any questions about the tree. I highly advise watching the YouTube videos on their control.
Thank you for being neighbors!
Scott Conklin
160 Seclusion Drive
260-417-9674(text preferably)
walleye1961.sc@gmail.com