Sequoyah Heights Landscape Management Plan

Sequoyah Heights Homeowners Association

Sequoyah Heights is a moderate-income residential subdivision of 174 townhouses located in the fragile urban-wildland interface of the Oakland Hills. The tragic firestorm of 1991, only a few miles north of their homes, awakened the residents to the need to reevaluate their own landscape. Going beyond reducing fire risk, WMA worked with the community to create a design, management, financing and action plan that replaced the traditional short-term "mow and blow" maintenance program with a comprehensive sustainable management program that respects the surrounding ecosystem while enhancing the value of their landscape over time. The plan contains 3 key elements: 1) ornamental tree management (view protection, new plantings, tree removal, inventorying the trees on a computerized database); 2) landscape management (differing managing strategies for the ornamental, transition, and wildland zones); 3) design (creating a cohesive design using natural elements at entries, while establishing new transitional buffer landscapes and modifying existing community shared open spaces on each block). By creating management zones, designing long-term strategies, and incorporating concepts such as views, entry points and fire hazard reduction, the plan creates a long-term sustainable landscape and provides an excellent model to address the critical interface between residential homes and wildland areas, protecting both people and wildlife. The Master Plan received an award citation from the Oakland Fire Marshall, who urged other communities to adopt similar plans.