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Chipping Program

You may call the station to reserve a spot for this year’s chipping list.

You can also bring slash to the Fairplay Slash Site  located just north of NWFPD’s Station 2 on HWY 285 in Fairplay.

Link to the location of the Fairplay Transfer Station  : https://goo.gl/maps/rgkcwS9QoTLiwQsD6

North-West Fire Chipping Program

North-West Fire Protection District is helping residents and property owners create defensible space by providing free chipping for branches, logs and small trees. If you clear woody vegetation from around your home and stack it in a slash pile, we’ll chip it at no cost to the homeowner. The piles must be accessible, and must meet the guidelines listed below. If the piles do not meet the guidelines, it is possible to burn these piles in the winter with the help of the department.

Residents will be required to pile material along the road beside your residents and NWFPD will bring the chipper to you.

**Please note wood chips will be dispersed on residence property.   

Materials Guidelines

Accepted materials include trees, logs and branches up to 12 inches in diameter, free of nails and wire. The following restrictions apply:

  • No willows or cottonwood: Willows and cottonwood have high moisture content, so they help to slow the spread of fire.  They also clog chipping equipment because they are very fibrous. 
  • No construction or building materials, treated lumber, fence posts or signs.
  • No shrubs, root wads, stumps, dirt or rocks. These items clog and damage chipping equipment.
  • No grass clippings, trash, weeds or bags of leaves.

Pile Guidelines

Please contact North-West Fire with your address and phone number for materials to be chipped. 

  • Stack piles neatly (no bags), with the large ends of branches facing the road.
  • Place piles within 5 feet of the roadway, but not touching the road or in drainage ditches.
  • Maximum pile size is 5 ‘x 5′ x 5’. There is no limit on the number of piles you may put out. If you have more than 20 piles, please notify us one week prior to your chipping date.
  • After crews have removed your pile, clear away any remaining branches, needles and debris.
  • Do not combine piles with neighbors’ piles.

Example of a “Good Pile”

A pile of freshly cut logs by the roadside, with trees and grass in the background.

Example of a “Bad Pile”

A pile of branches and twigs gathered by the side of a dirt path with trees in the background.

Contact

For more information on the NWFPD chipping program, email Charlyn Rickman at charlynrickman@gmail.com