Request to Comment CF22-1547 – Official Tree of the City of Los Angeles — Coast Live Oak
Dear Trees Committee and Friends,
I am sending this at the request of two of our members — Glenn Bailey and Marianne King.
The City Council Public Works Committee is considering a motion on Wednesday Jan 25 to instruct BSS (Streets LA) with the assistance of the Cultural Heritage Commission to report on the feasibility of designating the coast live oak as the official tree of the City of Los Angeles.
Here is a link to the agenda for Wednesday if you would like to call in:
See Item # 1 in Public Works Committee 1/25/2023
https://lacity.primegov.com/Portal/Meeting?meetingTemplateId=112036
Here is a link to the City Council Motion if you would like to make an individual comment on the Council File (use the link on the file number below, then Press the red NEW button), or have your NC do a CIS:
| 22-1547 Motion (O’Farrell – Koretz) |
The motion also has to also go through the Planning and Land Use Management Committee and full City Council so there is likely time for a CIS.
I don’t make endorsements, but I can say that the native coast live oak tree is not at all controversial in the environmental community, and Urban Forestry will plant coast live oaks if there are 10 foot parkways. I don’t know if UFD, the tree division of Streets LA, will actually get around to doing a “report back”. I don’t think I have seen a report back from them since Tim Tyson left as Chief Forester, and the 2 sponsoring Council members are no longer in office to push this through. But it did make it as Item 1 on the Public Works Committee agenda.
And this tree species is generally recognized by environmental scientists as the most beneficial tree for our biodiversity.
—
Joanne D’Antonio
Neighborhood Council Sustainability Alliance (NCSA), Trees Committee Chair
Community Forest Advisory Committee (CFAC) Representative, CD 2, and CFAC Enforcement Subcommittee Chair
Greater Valley Glen neighborhood council (GVGC): Board Member, Sustainability Representative, PLUC member
NCSA Representative – Urban Forestry Management Plan (UFMP) Working Group
(818) 387-8631
NCSA Trees Committee Mission: to protect the city’s urban forest and to promote its care on behalf of the community through advocacy, outreach, and education.