Planning

Retaining Walls and Terraces: Mapping Vegetation for Treatment

Break a terraced landscape into identifiable areas without confusing wall surfaces with vegetation.

By Wildfire Treatment Group.

Show levels as well as boundaries

An overhead image can make several terraces look like one continuous bed. Add photographs from the side and label the upper, middle and lower areas. Note stairs, gates and narrow passages. The reviewer needs to understand how people and equipment reach each area, not just its apparent size.

Identify features needing other review

Report damaged walls, unstable steps or access concerns to an appropriate professional. WTG’s vegetation assessment is not a retaining-wall engineering inspection. If repairs or drainage work are pending, explain the expected changes before discussing application. Keep construction and landscape responsibilities assigned separately.

Quote the selected areas

Ask the treatment proposal to identify the particular beds under consideration and exclude wall faces or hardscape unless expressly approved. Total yard area may poorly describe the actual vegetation footprint. When work is complete, use the same terrace labels in the record so future maintenance staff can identify which areas were included and which remained outside scope.

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