This website contains current information about Carmel Views including the agendas and minutes of Board meetings, project status reports, the Association’s governing documents (CC&R’s/Bylaws), and notices of upcoming events. We intend to update the website frequently as new information becomes available. Questions and suggestions are welcomed at CVCABoard@gmail.com.
Welcome to Carmel Views’ second GENISTA ERADICATION CAMPAIGN!!
GENISTA FUELS WILDFIRES
Join the Carmel Views Campaign to Eradicate Genista from Our Neighborhood!
- SEE it in your yard
- PULL it out by the roots
- PUT it in your green waste bin
Did you know that the yellow-flowering plant now blooming along our roadsides is serious fire hazard? It’s a highly invasive weed called Genista (scientific name Genista monspessulana) – or “French Broom.”
Carmel Views is calling on YOU to help to eradicate Genista from our neighborhood. Become a “Genista Warrior” today!
(1) Understand the Genista Threat
It’s hard to imagine how such an attractive plant can be so destructive. But allowing Genista to grow in your yard intensifies wildfire risks to your home and property and to our community.
Genista burns easily and intensely, spreading wildfires and providing ladder fuels that enable fire to reach tree canopies. Because Genista produces prolific seed and grows rapidly, it rapidly invades new areas and establishes dense stands.
Don’t take our word for it. Genista has been declared a fire hazard and weed threat by (among many others) Monterey County, The California Invasive Plant Council, The Santa Lucia Conservancy, and numerous California Counties and municipalities (e.g., Marin and Santa Barbara).
(2) Learn How to Identify Genista (French Broom)
Genista is a green shrub with bright yellow flowers that ranges from a few inches to more than 8-feet high. Its leaves are less than an inch long and come in clusters of three. The flowers look like pea blossoms.
To learn how to identify Genista, watch this YouTube Genista Video made by our neighbor Maureen McEachen or take a look at this handy French Broom Identification Card provided by the California Invasive Plant Council.
(3) Eliminate Genista from Your Yard
While the ground is still damp from recent rains – seize the opportunity (literally!) to easily pull-out Genista. It will become much more difficult as things dry up and the ground hardens.
Hand pulling works well for small to medium sized plants. But for bigger or deeply rooted plants, you can borrow a special tool called a “PullerBear” from CVCABoard@gmail.com. Watch this YouTube PullerBear Video to see how the PullerBear works.
If you want to use chemical herbicides to control extensive or dense Genista infestations, take a look at these Best Practices for Using Roundup compiled by our neighbor Alexis Speidel.
Make sure to remove all Genista plants that you see – large and small. And, because Genista seed can stay dormant in the ground for years, stay vigilant! Routinely monitor your yard for new Genista seedlings and remove them promptly before they become a bigger problem.
(4) Tell Your Neighbors!
Genista produces TONS of seed. Your neighbor’s Genista can re-seed your yard. So, help them understand why it’s important for everyone to do their part to eradicate Genista from our community. To help start the conversation – here are a Campaign Flyer and a one-page Information Sheet that you might find helpful.
(5) Participate in Upcoming Community Events
March 29, 10AM to noon – Neighborhood Genista-Bashing Event! Meet up with other Genista Warriors at Pine Hills Park at 10AM sharp. Then disperse in teams to worrisome infestations that can be easily accessed from the road. Led by our neighbor Lynn Berardo, the teams will pull and pile Genista. This is your chance not only to learn how to identify and remove Genista (including using pulling tools for bigger bushes), but also to meet neighbors and make friends! To register, email Lynn at genistapull@gmail.com .
Date TBD, Special Roadside Pick-up Day in April Sponsored by CVCA. Is the Genista in your yard too much for your green waste bin? Take advantage of a specially scheduled day for pick-up of Genista piles along the roadside. Date & time will be announced by the CVCA Board via email.
CHIPPER DAYS
The Cypress Fire Protection District has announced its chipper program for 2025. The dates for the program are:
- January 6 – 17, 2025
- March 3 – 14, 2025
- May 5 – 16, 2025
- December 1 – 12, 2025
See the Cypress Fire Protection District website for more information.
Last year Cypress Fire issued more stringent requirements for chipper-day pickup piles. Piles that do not comply with these rules will not be picked up. Here are the requirements.
Chipper Program Requirements
Please call Shayon Ascarie at 831-594-1427 or Frank Espinoza at 831-747-7012 if you think that Cypress Fire’s contractor worked in Carmel Views but missed a pile of branches. Shayon is a Fire Captain and Frank is a Battalion Chief at the Cypress Fire Protection District. Please call promptly while the contractor is still in the area.
Please do not put out anything to be chipped more than two weeks before the start of the next chipper program. Piles of cuttings left next to the road for long periods of time are unsightly, and they could become a fire hazard as they dry out.
The chipper contractor will not accept genista. Please put it in your green yard waste container. Also, the chipper contractor will not accept brush that is too small to be fed safely into a chipper. Here are several examples of brush that the chipper contractor refused to pick up. Please put brush this small in your green yard waste container.
