Homes and Land Improvement 2013 by Idyllwild Town Crier

Homes & Land A Town Crier publication

Improvement 2013

A CAL FIRE employee cuts down an oak tree infected by the Goldspotted oak borer.

PHOTO BY MARSHALL SMITH

Idyllwild oaks under attack Goldspotted oak borer established on the Hill By Marshall Smith Assistant Editor The Goldspotted oak borer, the non-native beetle that has killed more than 80,000 oaks in San Diego County, has been positively identiﬁed in Idyllwild. Currently, entomologists know of no native California predator or insecticidal defense against the tree killer.

A DNA analysis, conducted by the Invasive Species Lab at University of California, Riverside, confirmed the Idyllwild beetle has the same genetic characteristics as the GSOB invaders in San Diego County. Transportation in firewood from San Diego to Idyllwild is the likely culprit, according to forestry officials. Until this identification, which CAL FIRE Battalion Chief Julie Hutchinson confirmed in November 2012, officials thought the beetle habitat had been confined to San Diego County, with the northernmost reach of this dangerous and highly invasive pest found just north of Julian.

In her press release, Hutchinson wrote, “This new detection of GSOB represents the first large scale movement of the beetle from its known area of infestation in San Diego County, 40 miles to the south. It is believed to have made the jump from San Diego to Idyllwild through the movement of infested firewood.” History The GSOB was introduced to San Diego County in the late 1990s or early 2000s. It was likely brought into the state on oak firewood collected and transported See Oaks, page 7

Page 2 - Idyllwild Homes & Land Improvement Guide 2013

Greetings from Grace By Grace Reed Publisher Hopefully the cold weather will be behind us soon. Many people are tired of shoveling snow. I know my husband Don is, even though he has Rusty and I to supervise. Now that daylight savings time is here, we’ll have more time to focus on home improvement projects. We hope you will find some helpful hints in this publication. Every Idyllwild resident should be aware of the Goldspotted oak borer. San Diego county has already been hard hit — we don’t want to be next. There are ways we can all help save our trees. See page 1 to learn more.

Are you planning on planting a flower or vegetable garden this spring? If so, be sure to read Vicki Jakubac’s story on water

Garden Club joins oak borer ﬁght with roadside signs By Marshall Smith Assistant Editor

Highway 243, one coming into Idyllwild and one each at the county and state park entrances. Feyder said the sign will be 3 feet by 4 feet of durable corrugated plastic mounted three to 4 feet above the ground on posts. Signs are being produced and should be ready next week, said Feyder. “All this effort is going to do is announce that we have a problem and to increase awareness of the risks of ﬁrewood transportation.”

The Idyllwild Garden Club takes a major step in trying to stop further Goldspotted oak borer infestation in Idyllwild. It has commissioned and will install roadside signs advising against importation of oak onto the Hill. “Our budget allowed for 10 signs,” said Mike Feyder, Garden Club instigator of the sign project. At present the club plans to install signs at the intersection of Highway 371 and Highway 74 in Garner Valley, three more between Garner Valley and Mountain Center, several on Highway 74 coming from Hemet to Mountain Garden Club sign warning Center, one in Mountain about oak transportation. Center at the beginning of Photo courtesy of Mike Feyder

Inside:

conservation and planting recommendations on page 3. Stitch and the rest of the gang at Pine Cove Water District are offering a reward for anyone who reports a water leak in the Pine Cove area. For more information see the PCWD ad on page 5. Roscoe and his human, Idyllwild Fire Protection District Chief Patrick Reitz, offer several common sense tips for living on the hill. See page 4. When was the last time you changed your locks? If you’re like most of us, it’s been a while. I didn’t realize there are electronic locks that you can program with your smart phone. See page 5 to read about it. I ’ve a d m i re d D av i d Lilieholm’s work since we moved to the Hill. His designs are sustainable, unique and whimsical at the same time. I’m happy he agreed to write a story for us this year. See page 6. I’d like to thank our contributors and advertisers that make special publicationslike this possible and of course, the entire Town Crier staff for always producing quality publications. Remember : when in doubt hire a professional.

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Idyllwild Homes & Land Improvement Guide 2013 - Page 3

Slow the ﬂow By Vicki L. Jakubac Pine Cove Water District As winter fades and spring approaches, our thoughts turn to outdoor projects. While conserving water should be practiced year-round, the warmer weather of spring and summer is the perfect time to step up our conservation efforts. Since we can never let our guard down when it comes to drought, it is imperative that we plan and prepare today for our water needs tomorrow. Every structure, sidewalk, patio and driveway creates an impervious area where water runs off and cannot be absorbed into the ground. In order to help counteract this, you can start working now to make your property act like a sponge. Your yard should be absorbing, collecting and retaining water in order to reduce water runoff and the need for irrigation. One of the ﬁrst things a homeowner can do is to amend their soil. Adding organic matter to your soil will not only add essential nutrients, which will improve plant growth, but it will also improve its capacity to absorb and retain water. The more moisture it can retain, the less you have to water. Next, add a layer of mulch. Using mulch liberally and regularly helps to retain soil moisture, suppress weeds

and prevent run off. It reduces evaporation, prevents erosion and improves soil structure by imparting nutrients into the soil as it breaks down into compost. It also improves plant growth by providing insulation for plant roots. Observe your property. Watch how the water ﬂows and where it runs off or gathers. Adding berms to your garden will keep water from running off your property. Swales and rain gardens will collect and store rain water in your garden, allowing it to slowly percolate down through the soil.

Tips for saving water in the garden

Landscaping touches, such as a dry creek bed in an area where water normally runs off, not only improves the look of your garden, but will help to keep water on your property where it belongs. Installing rain gutters will allow you to direct water away from your house, where it could do damage, to an area where it can be beneﬁcial. Rain gutters also make it easier to install a rainwater collection system to collect runoff from your roof. Collecting and storing rainwater can provide water for use in the garden at a later time, thereby reducing your water usage and saving you money. Next, have a look at your hardscape. Are you using water permeable materials like gravel, pavers or pervious asphalt or cement for driveways, patios and garden paths? Could you live comfortably with less paved areas? Using water-permeable materials and removing unnecessary pavement will allow more water to penetrate and soak into the ground rather than just running off into the street. By making just a few changes outside, we can slow the ﬂow, reduce runoff and keep more water in our yard and gardens, where it belongs. For more water saving tips, visit our website and blog at www.pcwd.org and www.pcwd.orb/blog.

1. Choose native plants Native plants have had eons to adjust to the area’s normal rainfall, soil, and climate. Once established, they require little or no watering. 2. Don’t supersize plants The bigger the plant, the more water it might require. 3. Pile on the mulch Mulching around plants is a great way to reduce water loss. Mulch also cuts down on water-stealing weeds. 4. Make paths porous Garden paths made of porous material allow rainwater to seep into the ground and nourish plant roots, not run off into the street. 5. Lose the lawn A green lawn is a suburban ideal that drinks more than 20,000 gallons of water each year. 6. Put thirsty plants together To save water, group plants into watering zones. Place the thirstiest plants near the house where they can drink roof runoff. Farther out, make a “transition zone” for plants that need supplemental drip irrigation. 7. Plant and water when it’s cool New plants and transplants need far less water if you put them in the ground in early fall or early spring when it’s cooler. 8. Do donuts Trees and shrubs need extra water during their ﬁrst couple of years to help roots take hold. An efﬁcient way to keep roots moist is to mound several inches of soil into a donutshaped berm. 9. Follow the sun Before you plant, get to know how—and how long—the sun bathes your garden. Determine patterns of shade and sun. 10. Create the illusion of water A good way to conserve water in the garden is to capture rain water from your roof in a rain barrel. During a moderate rainfall, a 25-by-40-foot roof can shed 600 gallons per hour. — SOURCE: Houselogic.com

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Page 4 - Idyllwild Homes & Land Improvement Guide 2013

Ramblings from Roscoe By Roscoe the Fire Dog, as interpreted by Patrick Reitz, Idyllwild Fire Chief Whether you rent or own a home or a business, or own several, there are several nuggets of information that you should probably have in your knowledgebase to protect your family, your investment and all of your stuff. Some of these nuggets are things that you might not think of or maybe you feel you can always call someone. But what if the world is in a bit of crisis and chaos at that moment in time or Murphy is sitting on your shoulder and your cell phone doesn’t work, or you can’t get through, or that somebody is not available? It is always good to have at least a very basic idea of how to ﬁx or at least stop or slow-down the problem until you can get some help. Let’s start with the electricity Do you know where your circuit-breaker box or fuse box is located? Do you have more than one? Are the switches marked in such a way that you would know what they shut-off? I was recently at a house that had all of the breakers marked either “lites” or “plugs.” No location was identified and we would have had to shut-down the entire house to make it safe for us to work on. If you have a fuse box, do you know how to safely

change a fuse? Do you have the right fuses for replacements? Are they the correct rating for the amperage? Do you know how to operate the “main,” shutting off the power to everything in the house? Solar, wind, generator or batteries pose their own special problems and fixes. We will not discuss these here but if you have any of these, you should become aware of how to address the problems that might arise. Stopping the flow Do you know how to shut off the water? Do you know where the main valve for the house is located? Is there one in the house in addition to the valve at the curb? Can you shut off the water to parts of the house or specific faucets or appliances? For those of you with a private water source, do you know how to troubleshoot your well or cistern? Gas If you live on “the Hill,” there is a good chance that you have propane for heat and hot water. If you have a house or business somewhere else, you may have natural gas. Either way, you will have valves that control the flow of gas to the building as well as the appliances. Do you know where they are and how they work? If you have natural gas, you will need a wrench or a “gas key” to shut off the main flow of gas. If you have to shut off the gas, do you know how to safely

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relight the appliances? Do extinguisher is good for oryou know how to check for dinary combustibles such as leaks? wood, paper and cardboard. Water fire extinguishers are Have an extinguisher good to have near the firehandy place or woodstove. Do you have a fire exDo not keep your fire tinguisher? Do you know extinguishers next to where what kind it is, what it can you might have to use them, be used on and how to use but rather across the room. it properly? I recommend Why? If there is a fire on having at least two different the stove and the fire extinkinds of fire extinguishers guisher is next to the stove, as well as having more than you may get burned trying one of each. ABC or dry to get to it or may not be chemical fire extinguishers able to get to it at all. are especially good to have in the kitchen and garage Where there’s smoke Where are your smoke because they work on oil detectors? Do you have one and grease fires. There are also some good in every bedroom? Do you alternative fire extinguishing have them on every floor products out there that work of your house and in the as well or better than ABC highest point of the rooms dry chemical fire extinguish- to give you the earliest posers without the mess or risk sible warning? Do you have children in of inhaling the irritating powder. A pressurized water your house? Did you know

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there was a study that found that children may not wake up to the sound of a smoke detector but will wake up to a parent’s voice? That is why there are now smoke detectors that allow you to record your voice and place them in your child’s room. When was the last time you checked the smoke detectors? It is recommended that you check them regularly and that you change the batteries twice a year. I recommend that if you have smoke detectors that are hard-wired into the house that they also have a battery back-up or battery operated ones in addition to the hard-wired detectors. If you have smoke detectors that are in difﬁcult to reach places, like those on cathedral ceilings, use a 10-year lithium battery that you do not have to

change every 6 months. Also, smoke detectors have an expiration date and need to be changed out every 7 to 10 years, depending on the manufacturer. If you have a fireplace or woodstove, use propane or natural gas. If you have an attached garage, you should also have a carbon monoxide (CO) detector. I recommend those with a digital readout that plug-in to an electrical outlet and have a battery back-up. I am a ﬁrm believer in CO detectors — one saved my life several years ago when the stovepipe in the house became blocked and backedup while I was sleeping. Last resort escape Do you have an escape plan? Not only as a way out of your house, but out of See Roscoe, page 6

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Page 8 - Idyllwild Homes & Land Improvement Guide 2013

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Today’s homebuyer is advised to have the locks changed when they take possession of a new house. That’s obvious in larger, urban environments, but is often overlooked in a small town like Idyllwild. Can’t you just keep the same locks the former owner used? Sure, until someone they loaned a key to lets himself in while you’re away. For many years, robberies and other types of homebased crimes were few and far between in this idyllic town. Not so, anymore. As the economy has worsened, some people finding jobs and income scarce have turned to stealing other people’s property. Such crime has found its way here in the last few years. Short of a robbery triggering your awareness, however, two other situations clearly call for some sort of change regarding your home’s locks. First, if you’ve had a tenant you had to evict and the person kept the key you gave them, it’s time to have your locks repinned. Second, if you have one or more locks that are sticky, that just plain don’t want to work, the first thing to try is a little spritz from a spray can of liquid graphite, which you can buy at the local hardware store. If graphite doesn’t fix it, you need to install a new lock. If you’re handy, you can do this yourself. If you’re not, call a locksmith, who can also repin that new lock to use

the same key as your other locks. If you’re going to put in a new lock, you can get Schlage or Kwik-Set locks, mechanical and electronic, at the local hardware stores. If you’re planning to use your home as a vacation rental, the electronic version might be a good option, as you can program them for specific people coming and going. The cleaning crew would have one code, guests another, and the manger a different one. Some of these electronic locks even allow you to read the entry codes used with your Smart Phone. Mechanical locks can achieve a similar result by having a master key system set up by your locksmith. In addition to door locks, don’t forget to check your window locks. Also, secure any outside attic hatches and doors to storage or utility areas under the house. Simple hasps with padlocks will slow down a casual thief or squatter. If you have valuables you really need to protect, wireless router-based camera systems are now inexpensive and relatively easy to install. They provide you a view of what’s happening via the Internet. Perhaps the best security you can have is a good neighbor who watches your place in your absence. Join a Neighborhood Watch group, lock up when you’re away, manage your keys wisely and relax, knowing you’ve done all you can to secure your mountain home.

uestion: I am new to the Hill and have never had nswer: Whether it’s around the bathtub, the bottom a septic system. Is there of the shower, or in the kitchen, cracked or dirty anything I need to know? AN EXP grout can be removed or resealed. In any case, you nswer: Nearly all of the can follow these steps. homes on the mountain have septic systems. EveryTools and materials needed: Quality razor knife, orange thing sent down a drain in your home goes through tile sponge, siliconized caulk to match the color of grout (you will be using caulk to replace the grot you remove. this system. They consist of a tank and leach lines. The tank Colored caulk can be purchased at the hardware store or acts like a filter and has two compartments. the tank is always a quality tile store. It comes in “sanded” and “non-sanded.” full. When you flush 5 gallons, 5 gallons are displaced into Select the one that most closely resembles your grout color), the leach line by gravity. These tanks are mainly concrete and fiberglass and should be pumped or inspected for tree and a caulking gun. roots every 3 to 5 years. The lids are usually 1 to 3 feet Instructions: 1. Use the razor knife to cut away the old caulk or grout. underground. Tank sizes range from 750 gallons to 2,500 Be careful not to mar the tub surface with the knife and gallons. Most of the older ones are 1,000 gallons or less. They average 8 feet long by 5 feet wide and 4 feet deep. tane your time ini ordrr to remove all the material. The leach lines are where the fluid both percolates into 2. Wipe the joint clean with a damp sponge or rag and the ground and evaporates up throught the soil. The length then dry with a clean cloth. 3) Squeeze the caulking gun trigger slowly and smoothly, of these lines averages between 500 and 100 feet long and 3 putting a thin bead of caulk in the joint. Have a damp feet wide. This is depending on soil quality, the number of sponge with you and use your index finger to smear the bedrooms in the home and plumbing fixtures. Leach lines caulk into the joint. Wipe your finger often on the damp last between 15 and 30 years on our mountain. Tree roots sponge. Rinse sponge and then use it to gently smoothi are usually the cause of failure. The lines should not be paved over or driven over because it can affect the evaporation out the newly sealed joint. process. 4. Let it dry overnight before using. Justin Jones Chris Austin Idyllwild Backhoe Austin Tile Co. uestion: How do I clean the cracked or mildew caulk or grout around my tile?

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Page 6 - Idyllwild Homes & Land Improvement Guide 2013

The joy of place and design By David Lillieholm Lilieholm Design I know our mountain home as a very intimate place. There is a depth of richness and diversity close and available in the original beauty of our landscape — low hills peppered with agave and cactus rising into chaparral then up into great forests to timberline. Geology of granite asserts in striking boulders, outcrops, and into soaring cliffs. Being a transplant from the east coast, I came for the natural beauty and have remained here because of the wonderful community, one that values inspiration. For 25 years I’ve loved seeing Idyllwild continue to grow stronger in quality of life as an educational, artistic, recreational, spiritual, and civic community. Even so-called limitations of available land, water and sewer services, and governmental regu-

Roscoe Continued from page 4

your neighborhood? Have you practiced your escape? What if one way is blocked? Do you have a second, or even a third? The items listed above are only a partial list of need-to-knows and needto-haves. Time and space limit going into many more such as emergency contacts, medications, important papers, defensible space,

lations have in actuality allowed the San Jacinto Mountain area to remain surprisingly unchanged physically, while the surrounding region sprawls. Living here is to partake in all this through the great views we have, and all within an invigorating change of seasons. Idyllwild and the surrounding mountain communities have such a strong sense of place that it beautifully infuses the design process. My design practice ranges from new residences to additions and remodels to site work and planning. With new residences, I’m inspired to design blending the rich attributes of site with each client’s unique program and dreams of what they envision to create. With additions and remodels, existing homes, some with historical features, offer an initial design route, culminating in a home of greater fulfillment emergency vehicle access and others. Some additional resources can be found through your local ﬁre department, law enforcement agency, the American Red Cross and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, (FEMA) to name just a few. Patrick Reitz is the Fire Chief for the Idyllwild Fire Protection District. Questions and comments can be sent via the Town Crier or to chief@idyllwildﬁre.com.

A residence designed by David Lilieholm. Courtesy David Lilieholm

of function and attractiveness. Finally, with site work there is the oft neglected opportunity to integrate home design into the land. Extending structure and giving definition to exte-

rior spaces heightens our appreciation of close-up natural features and makes relationships to distant views. My services for clients may begin early, consulting with people interested in

raw property or a house to purchase, and discussing the strengths and drawbacks and future potential of such a purchase. Usually I begin with an existing house or lot, creating a preliminary design, adjusting and developing the design until we are ready to commit to generating the actual complete construction drawings. I t a k e t h e s e d r a wings through the Riverside County Building and Safety and Planning Department permitting process, responding to plan check concerns, clearing any county agency holds and requirements until the building permit is in hand. Generally, concurrently with the county work, I’ll assist the owner in obtaining contractor’s bids of

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Oaks Continued from page 1

from the insect’s native range in southeastern Arizona or northern Mexico. The insect has caused extensive injury and mortality to oaks in woodlands and mixed-conifer forests in San Diego County. The GSOB prefers mature oak trees but occasionally attacks smaller oaks with a diameter at breast height (dbh) of about 10 inches. It has rarely been identified in oaks with a dbh of less than five inches. Trees with a dbh of 18 inches or greater are the most likely to be killed. GSOB attacks only oaks and prefers those in the red oak group including coast live oak and the California black oak. It will also infect

Tom Scott (center) explains to Goldspotted Oak Borer Task Force volunteers and the Mountain Communities Fire Safe Council Woodies what GSOB does and does not look like. Photos by Marshall Smith

canyon live oak. The small insect spreads by adult flight dispersal or via human assisted transport, for example, in fire-

wood, from its current locations. Typical damage associated with GSOB infested trees includes crown thinning and leaf dieback, bark staining on the main stem, bark injury from woodpecker foraging, and Dshaped emergence holes on the main stem and larger branches of the tee. Following several years of extensive and repeated bout of injury form larval feeding, tree health declines and eventually the tree dies.

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Additional discoveries CAL FIRE removed the local infected tree in November. Just prior to a January public meeting, two more trees were identified with oak borer infestation. By early February, another four trees were identified in Idyllwild with GSOB infestation. A multi-agency rapid response team, including members from the U.S. Forest Service, CAL FIRE and University of California, Riverside, will conduct a local survey to How the GSOB damages determine if there are any oaks other infected trees in the Larval feeding causes the Idyllwild area. most significant damage to host oaks. After numerous Prospects attacks, the damage forms “Leave firewood at a girdle around the tree. home,” advised the CAL This disrupts water and FIRE press release. “Do not nutrient transport from transport it to recreational roots to branches, limbs cabins, campground or and the top. parks. Buy it [firewood] Adults feed on the fo- where you burn it.” University of California, Riverside, scientist Tom Scott points liage, but this does not Dr. Tom Scott, natural to evidence of goldspotted oak borer damage to the ﬁrst infected damage the tree or affect resource specialist at the oak found in Idyllwild. Photo by Marshall Smith its growth. University of California,

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Riverside, suggested it would be extremely beneficial if anyone who has imported wood from San Diego County to Idyllwild would share that information with the GSOB task force. The information would be helpful in determining when and specifically from where in the San Diego area the Idyllwild beetle came. This information may help tamp the spread of the deadly pest. Scott said callers would face no penalties and would assist in what is now a fight to prevent further spread. Call (951) 827-2973 with your information. Third District Supervisor Jeff Stone said that Riverside County Code Enforcement would be put on high alert to target roadside wood sellers in the Idyllwild area. There is a county ordinance (853) that prohibits roadside vending 40 feet from any public right of way, with certain limitations. “We’ll step up Code

Enforcement and work with John Snyder, the county agricultural commissioner, to see how we can stop the spread,” Stone said. “If you see roadside wood vendors in the Idyllwild area, call my ofﬁce [(951) 698-7326]. This is now an emergency.” Because GSOB originated outside of California (northern Mexico and southeastern Ar izona), there are no natural predators in California to check its progress. A University of California, Davis, study estimates that as of February 2012, $8 million in public and private funds had been spent on GSOB mitigation efforts, including dead tree removal, infested wood disposal, closure of parks and campgrounds (due to hazardous dead trees), developing and supporting public outreach and education and engaging government agencies for response and assistance.

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Rick Foster Locksmith

951.249.4702 (cell) rick.foster@verizon.net CA Locksmith License #: 4356 Idyllwild resident since 1996 - I know the area!

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