Mission Trails gets a 62-ton makeover to reduce wildfire risk

Slightly more than 62 tons of brush and waste have been removed from Mission Trails Regional Park to reduce the risk of wildfires in communities nearby, restore natural habitat and protect the San Diego River watershed. “Mission Trails is city-owned land, but caring for more than 8,000 acres takes all of us,” Jennifer Morrissey, executive director of the Mission Trails Regional Park Foundation , said during a news conference Wednesday. “This work isn’t just about taking invasive fire-prone plants out, it’s also about giving space for native plants to thrive.” Crews from RECON Environmental , the foundation’s contractor, have helped clear some 756 acres of the park since September 2024. RECON has removed 29 individual 40-yard containers of green waste. That’s roughly the weight of 31 passenger cars. The work was done through a $1.8 million award from the San Diego River Conservancy , an agency under the umbrella of the California Natural Resources Agency. The award is administered through the trails foundation. The grant runs through the fall of 2027 and the agreement specifically calls for lowering the risk and intensity of fire by reducing flammable fuel loads by removing non-native plants while protecting native habitat.

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