Bay Area Air Quality Management District Chipping Program
Request for Chipping Application
Send this form ONLY when your pile(s) are ready for chipping
Project Information:
Name:
Phone:
Email:
Address: City/Zip:
Nearest Cross Street: Assessor’s Parcel #:
[ ] unknown
Are you the property owner? Yes
[ ]
No
[ ]
Owner’s name (if different): Contact Phone (if different):
Is the material to be chipped from an agricultural operation considered a “Small Business”, which is
defined as a business with no more than 10 employees and gross annual income of less than
$750,000? Yes [ ] No [ ] I don’t know [ ]
How much material are you requesting to be chipped:
(estimated) total cubic yards:
Total number of piles:
Where will the material be located?* On the shoulder of Road
[ ]
Driveway
[ ]
Other
please specify location:
*Please make a note of locked gates. Do not obstruct any roadways, driveways or access routes with
your material.
Describe the material to be chipped:
What is the largest diameter of woody material to be chipped? inches
*The material to be chipped is located within a CA Dept. of Food and Agriculture’s European
Grapevine Moth quarantine area? Yes [ ] No [ ] I don’t know [ ]
AGREEMENT:
I confirm that the information in this application is true and accurate. I own or am the legal occupier of
the property where chipping services will be performed, and hereby consent to the Bay Area Air
Quality Management District (Air District), or the chipping contractor(s), entering my property for the
purposes of arranging and performing the chipping services in connection with this program.
In consideration for receiving chipping services, I agree to comply with the Program Requirements
(below), and, on my behalf and on behalf of my next of kin, heirs, and representatives, I release from
all liability, and promise not to sue, the Air District or its officers, directors, participants, coordinators,
or volunteers (“Sponsors”) for any losses or damages of any kind I may suffer because of my
participation in this program. I also agree to indemnify and defend the Sponsors against any losses,
damages, claims, or liabilities of any kind for any damages or injuries to the person or property of
others arising out of my participation in this program.
Signature Name (Printed) Date
Submittal Instructions:
Please complete and return this form to the Air District electronically by email to:
chipping@baaqmd.gov (Subject: Chipping Application), by mail to: BAAQMD, Compliance and
Enforcement Division, ATTN: Mail Stop Chipping, 939 Ellis Street, San Francisco, CA 94019, or via
FAX at: (415) 928-0338
Bay Area Air Quality Management District
Chipping Program Requirements
If I am not the property owner, it is my responsibility to obtain permission from the owner
to conduct clearing activities.
Any material requested to be chipped must otherwise be allowed to be burned as either
an Orchard Pruning and Attrition or Crop Replacement fire in accordance with the
agricultural fire requirements in Air District Regulation 5, Open Burning. This material
must be generated from an agricultural operation being pursued as a gainful occupation.
The burden of proof of a “gainful occupation” is the responsibility of the property owner, or
responsible party, and as such, I can demonstrate gross profit or loss from the
agricultural operation (as evidenced by tax receipts, sales slips, property lease
agreements, or other such documentation) to the satisfaction of the Air District in a timely
manner, upon request.
For Crop Replacement chipping: the material generated must be for the purpose of
establishing an agricultural crop in a location that previously contained another type of
crop or natural growth, and the land area will remain agricultural. The land area will not
subsequently be used for any type of residential or commercial building development.
Tree trunks and limbs that the chipping contractor determines are too large to be chipped
(generally those over 8 inches in diameter) will be left on the property.
Scheduling will be determined by the contractor. The contractor will attempt to
accommodate a schedule convenient for the applicant, yet it may not be possible to
arrange for chipping on or before a specific date.
The contractor has final authority to determine if a pile is suitable for chipping. I
understand that if the pile is not stacked in accordance with the Air District’s Chipper Pile
Guidelines, it will not be chipped, and I will be responsible for lawfully disposing of any
unchipped materials.
The chipping contractor will haul the chipped material off-site for disposal, unless a
property specifically requests and pre-arranges with the contractor that the chipped
material remain on the property, in which case the contractor will make its best effort to
leave the chipped material on the property at a location suitable to the property owner.
(Requests to leave chipped material on-site cannot be accommodated within U.S. Dept.
of Agriculture (USDA) and CA Dept. of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) designated pest
quarantine areas where removal and disposal are required.)
I will not make any attempt to load brush into the chipping machine, or assist the
contractor with chipping in any way. I understand that all work will be halted should I
attempt to do so.
The Air District is not obligated to provide services under this program, and is not liable
for its performance of services, or its failure to provide services, under this program.
The Air District’s funds for this program services are limited. Therefore, the Air District
may refuse to provide services.
I am responsible for any environmental compliance issues that may arise in connection
with the services provided by the Air District under this program, and agree to contact
state, local, or municipal agencies for information that may apply to my chipping job.