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Tree Service in Fair Play

Fair Play is in our area, yes. Call (530) 429-7647 and we'll find a local tree pro to come out to your home, ranch or vineyard.

It's a ways out from the bigger towns. We do the legwork of finding someone who'll make the trip.

From gold camp to wine country

Fair Play started as a mining town in the 1850s. By the 1880s it had turned to farming. It had its own post office from 1860 to 1944.

Today it's known for wine. The Fair Play AVA, its own official wine-growing area, was set up in 2001. There are well over 20 places to stay, taste or buy wine out here now.

It sits about 4.5 miles northeast of Aukum, at around 2,329 feet. That's foothill oak and pine country, with vineyards on the slopes between.

Trees around vines and visitors

Tree problems on a vineyard aren't the same as in a backyard. A pine that falls into the rows can take out posts, wire and a season of grapes. An oak limb over a parking area is a risk to guests' cars.

So if you run a winery or a place for guests, look at the trees people walk and park under. Big limbs over picnic tables. Dead branches above the path to the tasting room. A leaning pine by the driveway in.

The off season is the time to deal with them. A pro working in a quiet month is easier on everyone than a crew in the lot on a busy Saturday.

After a storm out here

Storms move through the hills fast. Out on open slopes, a single tree takes the whole wind. Afterward, check:

• Trees along the vine rows and the end posts.
• Limbs hanging over the house, barn or guest cabins.
• The trees that line the only road in.
• Anything touching the line that brings power to the property.

If a limb is on a wire, stay at least 10 feet back and call 911. If nothing's burning or down, PG&E handles wire-side tree worries at 1-800-743-5000.

County rules

Fair Play is unincorporated, so the county's oak rules apply to private land. Storm-damaged oaks don't need a permit. Clearing healthy oaks for new vines is a different matter, so ask the county first.

Fire rules apply as well. Each building needs at least 100 feet of defensible space. Guest cabins count.

Prices and access

Out here, access is the big cost factor. Gravel roads, slopes and gates all add time. National guides put a medium tree at $450 to $700 and a large one at $900 to $1,200. If a crane is needed near a building, figure $1,500 to $2,500.

Keeping the wood as rounds saves on hauling, and you may want the firewood anyway.

Timing

Expect a little more wait than in town, since it's a drive for most pros. We'll tell you what we find. For a tree on a building or across the only road, we push for faster.

Nearby

• Somerset tree service
• Grizzly Flats tree service
• Trees near power lines
• Every town on our list