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National Fire Plan Success Story

“Smart Yard Care” - New Handbook for Homeowners
National Park Service Northeast Region, Virginia
National Fire Plan - Community Assistance
2010

The Smart Yard Care publication.
“Smart Yard Care - Big Rewards from Small Investments in Stewardship”. NPS photo.

Dave Close, Frank Reilly, and Barb Stewart holding copies of the Smart Yard Care handbook.
Left to right: Dave Close, Virginia State Master Gardener Coordinator, Virginia Tech; Frank Reilly, author; Barb Stewart, National Park Service. Virginia Tech University Photo.

Smart Yard Care - Big Rewards from Small Investments in Stewardship, takes a holistic look at landscaping and home life to promote Firewise practices. The book by Francis J. Reilly, Jr. offers environmentally friendly alternatives to burning yard waste, including ways to avoid creating it in the first place. Thoughtful homeowners, especially those in Mid-Atlantic States, will find good information to help reduce, reuse or recycle yard waste, decreasing fuels from around their homes. Debris burning is a major cause of unwanted wildfires and reducing that activity may help decrease wildfire starts. The handbook provides useful tips on dealing with invasive species and living with wildlife, as well as protecting human homes and landscapes from wildfire.

The book is the culmination of an idea first brought to the Virginia Cooperative Extension of Virginia Tech by Barb Stewart of the National Park Service. She, Stephanie Bushong of the USDA Forest Service and Cindy Frenzel, then with the Virginia Department of Forestry, was looking for environmentally sensitive ways to help people protect their homes from wildland fire. David D. Close, Virginia State Master Gardener Coordinator, was project director. National Fire Plan funds supported the project through an agreement with the National Park Service Southern Appalachian Cooperative Ecosystems Studies Unit.

Two stories relate earlier stages of the project:

To purchase copies of Smart Yard Care, go to Smart Yard Care Guide.

Contact: Barbara Stewart, Fire Communication Specialist, NPS Northeast & National Capital Regions, (434) 220-9065.