Living In PMC

Here is helpful information about life in the mountains and tips on what to do in the event of an emergency offered by Cal Fire, Kern Fire Safe Council, Los Padres Bear Aware, California Department of Fish and Wildlife and other entities. A reminder that if there is an emergency, it is essential that PMCPOA knows how to contact you: If you do not have current contact information on file with the association or you have not registered for the Members' Login on this website, please notify the Business Office to provide updates right away by calling 242-3788 or by stopping at the front desk during regular business hours.

Here is a fun poster that depicts living in Pine Mountain Club.

Here is an Abbreviated Association Rules Handout (one page), Dec 2022.
Here is the Member Information Packet (May 2022)
Member Information/Email Update Fillable Form 2023
(Use this to update your information and email preferences.)

Firearms and Hunting

Bears/Wildlife

Here in PMC, we share the mountains with a variety of wildlife. Most of the time, animal encounters are from afar, but bear activity has been on the increase in recent years.

To view the video of the Aug. 21, 2022 Town Hall "Living With Bears," please click here.

August 2023 Bear Update

Aug. 10, 2023
From the General Manager in PMC Regarding Bears

Hello Members,
Most of you know that bears have been a serious challenge for the community this season. The POA has received many inquiries about how to mitigate property damage.
To clarify, PMC’s current EC Code 7.04 L states “ Electric fencing is not permitted, excluding pet parameter electric fences”.
Those of you who attended last week's presentation by CA Fish & Wildlife were told about products that can protect your structures. These electrified mats to be placed in front of doors and windows, or electrified bungee cord systems ARE allowed at PMC. They can provide options to protect your home, and do not require Environmental Control preapproval.
Here is a link to some of these products:
https://www.tahoebearbusters.com/bear-deterrents/bear-fences/
Watch a video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHIfA-OfjOI
As shown on these pages, warning signs for humans are also provided. Thankfully, although we have smarter-than-the-average-bears here, they can’t read!
PMC strongly recommends a certified electrician install some of these items, particularly the wiring around windows and doors. You may also consider contacting your insurance provider to determine if there is any benefit under your policy to install any of these devices.
On behalf of the Board of Directors,

Todd F. Greisen, CACM, CMCA, AMS
General Manager & COO
PMCPOA, Inc.
(661) 242 3788
[email protected]

Link to Video of Aug. 3 Meeting
CA Fish & Wildlife Human/Bear Conflict Expert Warden Chris DeTar was in the Condor Room on Thursday, Aug. 3 at 10am to offer help and information about dealing with bears breaking into homes. Here is a link to the video of the meeting for those who were not able attend in person.

This season has seen more bears breaking into PMC homes than ever before. There are 5-6 bears that have learned that if they break windows or doors, they are almost guaranteed to get food. Bears are extremely strong – they can tear a solid wood door right off the hinges.
It’s extremely important to report bear damage to California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife. The more people that report, the more state resources our area will be assigned. We need help.
If you have had a bear damage your property, enter your home, garage or shed, go to https://apps.wildlife.ca.gov/wir and fill out the form. The warden assigned to our area will contact you directly.
PMCPOA has become aware of a company based at Lake Tahoe that have created a very effective electric bear mat. For information on these bear mats, go to their website https://www.tahoebearbusters.com.
There is a lot of information available to help homeowners deal with bear problems. The Los Padres Bear Aware Facebook page has many helpful tips on how to bear-proof your property.
The PMC Clubhouse has a book called “Living With Bears” available for purchase at the office window. There is free literature from Ca Fish & Wildlife about bears and other local wildlife available in the lobby at the clubhouse.

8/10/23

From the General Manager in PMC Regarding Bears

Hello Members,
Most of you know that bears have been a serious challenge for the community this season. The POA has received many inquiries about how to mitigate property damage.
To clarify, PMC’s current EC Code 7.04 L states “ Electric fencing is not permitted, excluding pet parameter electric fences”.
Those of you who attended last week's presentation by CA Fish & Wildlife were told about products that can protect your structures. These electrified mats to be placed in front of doors and windows, or electrified bungee cord systems ARE allowed at PMC. They can provide options to protect your home, and do not require Environmental Control preapproval.
Here is a link to some of these products:
https://www.tahoebearbusters.com/bear-deterrents/bear-fences/
Watch a video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHIfA-OfjOI
As shown on these pages, warning signs for humans are also provided. Thankfully, although we have smarter-than-the-average-bears here, they can’t read!
PMC strongly recommends a certified electrician install some of these items, particularly the wiring around windows and doors. You may also consider contacting your insurance provider to determine if there is any benefit under your policy to install any of these devices.
On behalf of the Board of Directors,
Todd F. Greisen, CACM, CMCA, AMS
General Manager & COO
PMCPOA, Inc.
(661) 242 3788
[email protected]

January 2023 PMC Bear Updates by Vicky Kraft of Los Padres Bear Aware

At least 11+ Unlocked Vehicles have been entered by bears in January 2023. Continue to keep vehicles locked with no scented items inside, including scented air freshener. Remove child car seats and wash the car seat frequently! There is a vacuum / car wash in Frazier Park and at the Tejon Outlets. Many PMC area bears did not enter torpor in December, nor in January. Bears do not enter torpor when there is food & water available to them. Providing food/water disrupts their natural behavior.
Please check your property: Check crawlspace doors, skirting, vents and underneath low to the ground decking to make sure no bear is residing on your property.
Never store food nor scented items in crawlspaces, sheds & garages. Lock your home doors, garages & sheds; do not leave them unlocked. Bears can open unlocked doors.

November 2022 PMC Bear Updates by Vicky Kraft of Los Padres Bear Aware

Most bears typically enter torpor AFTER Dec. 20. Some bears remain wandering PMC even during winter.
Please check your property - check crawlspace doors, skirting, vents and underneath low to the ground decking to make sure no bear is residing on your property. Continue to keep vehicles locked with no scented items inside, including scented air freshener. Remove child car seats and wash the car seat frequently! There is a vacuum/car wash in Frazier Park and at the Tejon Outlets. Never store food nor scented items in crawlspaces, sheds & garages. Lock your home doors, garages and sheds - do not leave them unlocked. Bears can open unlocked doors.

Bear Facts as of October 2022, as reported by Vicky Kraft of Los Padres Bear Aware.

(The photos below are of bears in PMC and some of the damage they have caused.)

• 19 BEARS ARE ACTIVE IN PMC -- We have a lot of young bears.

• VEHICLES -- 179+ vehicles with bears inside. Lock vehicles 24/7. Never leave your vehicle windows “cracked open.” Keep your vehicle windows up all the way. Vacuum and clean out your vehicles. Bears entered over 118+ unlocked vehicles in 2021.

HOMES -- 289+ entries into homes, garages, crawl spaces or sheds by bears have been reported in 2022. 185+ homes, garages, crawl spaces or sheds were entered by bears in 2021. NO FOOD, NO TRASH, NO PET FOOD, no SCENTED items, etc. EVER in any garage, shed, crawl space or outside area.

Most bear damage is occurring via the following actions:

• UNLOCKED VEHICLES -- Three full-time owners’ cars have been totaled because the bear got trapped inside when the door shut on the bear as it moved around inside the vehicle. Clean out your vehicles and lock the doors 24/7. Clean out scented items from RVs.

• UNLOCKED FRONT DOORS -- We have several bears who can depress the lever of a front door or the door between the garage and kitchen. The bears gain access by opening the door to then strut to the kitchen.

• LOW OPEN WINDOWS TO A SCREEN -- Any window under 8 feet is easy access for a bear. Open windows must not have anything underneath them including decking, railings, lawn furniture, storage containers, thick siding or thick window trim on a window below the open window, etc.

• GARAGES -- Never store any food or scented items in garages. No trash, no pet food, no bird food, no fertilizer with blood meal, no scented items, no recyclables, etc. Bears realize no people reside inside garages to scare them away. Bears can smell refrigerators and freezers.

• SHEDS -- Never store any food-related items: no trash, no pet food, no bird food, no fertilizer with blood meal, no recyclables, no scented items, etc. in sheds. Bears realize no people reside inside sheds to scare them away.

• CRAWL SPACES -- A few bears are removing vents on homes where crawl spaces or basements are. Check your house by walking your property. No food, no pet food, no bird food, no scented items, no trash or recycles in a crawl space.

Click Here for Safety Measures

LOS PADRES BEAR AWARE – To view photos, videos or to read bear information, you do not need a Facebook account. Visit Los Padres Bear Aware here: https://www.facebook.com/Los-Padres-BEAR-Aware-176841945709816

For free help with bear issues, call Vicky at 661-242-6988.

Do Not Feed The Bears!

This is an important reminder that it is essential you do not feed the bears. Remember, a fed bear is a dead bear! When bears come into town looking for human and pet food, they become habituated, and more aggressive. They break into homes and confront humans. Many of these bears will wind up getting shot.

It is essential that you haul your garbage to the Transfer Site as often as possible, and never leave human or dog food outside or even near an open window inside. Here are tips offered by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife on how to safely live in bear country. Please take them seriously; the safety of the residents, pets and bears of the PMC community depend upon it.

Additional Information about Stashing Your Food and Trash

California Mountain Lions

More than half of California is mountain lion habitat, including the PMC area. Mountain Lions generally exist wherever deer are found. They are solitary and elusive, and their nature is to avoid humans. Some people think there are more mountain lions these days, but that’s not necessarily true. They are just being seen on people’s home security cameras doing what they do – prowling and hunting at night.

To read an article about living in mountain lion country, please click here.

Fire

The owner of the property is given 15 days from the mailing date of the citation to either dispute the citation or show proof the violation was corrected. For more information about this requirement, visit www.kerncountyfire.org to view the Hazard Reduction Guidelines.

As Cal Fire reminds on its website, “Creating defensible space is essential to improving your home’s chance of surviving a wildfire. It’s the buffer you create between a building on your property and the grass, trees, shrubs, or any wildland area that surrounds it. This space is needed to slow or stop the spread of wildfire and it protects your home from catching fire—either from direct flame contact or radiant heat. Defensible space is also important for the protection of the firefighters defending your home.”

To view safety tips provided by PMCPOA’s Emergency Preparedness Committee on how to protect your home, please click here.

Tips from Cal Fire: www.fire.ca.gov

Evacuations save lives and allow responding personnel to focus on the emergency at hand. Please evacuate promptly when requested! Click here to read the article.

Christmas Tree and Holiday Décor Safety Tips

To read an article about Christmas tree and holiday decor safety tips by PMCPOA Director Peggy Hoyt-Voelker from the Cal Fire Website, please click here.

Electrical Safety Article
To read an article about electrical safety, please click here.

Chimney Fire Safety Article
To read an article about chimney fire safety, please click here.

Home Heating Fire Safety Article
To read an article about home heating fire safety, please click here.

Winter Weather

Winter weather and snowy conditions are common in Pine Mountain Club, and the time to get prepared for winter storms is before they happen.

Winter Weather Preparation

Please click here to view the PMCPOA snow plowing procedures.
Please click here to view the Snow Removal FAQ brochure.
Please click here to view a Winter Preparedness Checklist.
Please click here to view a Mountain Communities of Frazier Park Snow Play Guide.

To view a page with snow plowing operations information, including a plowing status map that updates every five minutes, please click here.

Radio Safety Net Program

PMCPOA has implemented a new Radio Safety Net Program to connect volunteers with neighbors in need during emergencies. To view details about the program, please click here, email [email protected], or call the RSN general information number at (661) 241-3754.

PMCPOA Radio Station AM 1610

During inclement weather when the power stays on, you can tune into PMCPOA’s radio station, AM 1610, for regular updates, or call 242-3857 after hours for current conditions. The radio station is updated every night around 3-4 a.m. with current weather and road conditions, and more often if we are having a snowstorm because the situation can change quickly. It’s a good idea to keep a transistor radio in the house that operates on batteries in case of a power outage.

 Dress for the Weather

If you must go outside during a storm or very cold weather, wear several layers of loose-fitting, lightweight, warm clothing rather than one layer of heavy clothing. The outer garments should be tightly woven and water repellent. Wear mittens, which are warmer than gloves, and wear a hat. Cover your mouth with a scarf to protect your lungs

Winter Driving

Using Wireless Devices in Emergency Situations

Emergency preparedness is key to getting through a disaster when it happens. Part of this planning should include a wireless communications device, which can add capabilities to help you get through an emergency. It’s not uncommon for the power to go out in PMC. When it does, a wireless device can help. Here are tips.

Clubhouse Serves as Shelter During Storms and Power Outages

During severe weather, the PMCPOA Clubhouse remains open 24/7 in the event of the power going out. PMCPOA has an emergency generator that provides power immediately upon an outage, so the Clubhouse stays warm and lit. You can bring sleeping bags and games, and hunker down during the storm until the power comes back on. (No pets please; and a note that PMCPOA cannot provide transport to the Clubhouse.)