Weed & Brush Abatement

In Saratoga, there are two programs that help protect Saratoga from wildfire by reducing potential fuel, like weeds and brush. These programs are:

  • Weed Abatement Program managed by the City of Saratoga in partnership with the Santa Clara Department of Agriculture. All properties in the City of Saratoga are subject to Weed Abatement requirements. However, only properties on the Weed Abatement List are inspected and subject to fees.

    The Weed Abatement Program deadline is typically April 15, but may be adjusted depending on anticipated rain levels. Property owners may submit a request to extend the Weed Abatement Program compliance deadline no later than 3 business days before the deadline.

  • Brush Abatement Program (Wildland Urban Interface Preparedness Inspection) managed by the Santa Clara County Fire Department. All properties in the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) area of the City are subject to Brush Abatement requirements.

    Brush Abatement Program inspections begin in April and if properties fail to meet program requirements by June, properties will be submitted to the City to be considered as part of the nuisance declaration and abatement order hearing in June.  For information about the Brush Abatement Program, call 408.378.4010. 

Weed Abatement Program

In 2017, a number of property owners on the Weed Abatement Program list raised concerns about the program. The concerns raised included inadequate noticing and communications for the program, a desire to more closely align the Weed Abatement and Brush Abatement Programs, make the public nuisance declaration process for Weed Abatement fairer, and make fees and bills clearer and more transparent. As a result, the City Council made adjustments to the program to make the process and program requirements more transparent. 

Weed Abatement Program List

The Weed Abatement Program List is a list of properties that have been previously identified as out of compliance with Program requirements. Properties will be removed from the list after achieving 3 consecutive years of compliance or by action of the City Council.

  • Only properties on the list as of January 31 will be subject to fees and nuisance declarations under the Weed Abatement Program during that year.
  • Non-compliant properties identified based on complaints or observations in the field will be inspected by the City for compliance with the City Code. If the property is found non-compliant and conditions are not corrected within the deadline set by the Code Compliance Officer, in addition to any other remedies imposed by the City, the property will be added to the Weed Abatement Program List for the following calendar year.
  • Properties that fail to meet Brush Abatement requirements by the deadline set by the Santa Clara County Fire Department and included in an abatement order approved by the City Council will also be added to the Weed Abatement Program List for the following calendar year.