Publications

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 also 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, were 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. – Information about the Smart Yard Care guide courtesy of the National Park Service website.