Trees felled around protesters in Arcadia

A prized grove of 179 coastal oaks and 70 sycamores in Arcadia was reduced to stumps, broken limbs and slash piles by mid-afternoon Wednesday, despite a showdown by four tree-sitters attempting to stop bulldozers from clearing the land to make way for muck dredged from a nearby reservoir.

By 2 p.m., more than 30% of the grove near Santa Anita and Elkin avenues had been cleared. Los Angeles Sheriff's Capt. Joe Fennell explained the tactic: "We move all the trees except the [ones] they are in; we hope that is the case," he said. "Then perhaps they'll come down without us having to extract them."

From the backyard of a home adjacent to the work site, six observers watched as deputies surrounded the base of one of the few massive oaks left standing. Two protesters were perched on a platform about 30 feet above the ground, which was little more than bare dirt.

The county Department of Public Works, which owns the property, is preparing the site for 500,000 cubic yards of muck to be dredged from a nearby reservoir that is a key component of the flood-control system for the San Gabriel Mountain foothill communities. It also helps replenish ground water for the cities of Sierra Madre and Arcadia, according to Public Works.

County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich, who represents the nearby communities, in December negotiated a 30-day moratorium to study alternatives that might spare the trees. The county concluded that its original plan was the most reasonable option and proceeded Wednesday morning.

Tree-sitters, including John Quigley, a veteran of such protests, entered the site at 4 a.m. and remained in the trees as of mid-afternoon Wednesday.

Earlier, Bob Spencer, a Public Works spokesman, said he expected the trees to be cleared within two days. "The wood will stay on site," he said. "It will be chipped and used as ground cover. Some of the stumps will be left to rot as part of the natural decaying process."

Spencer said the chipped wood and rotted stumps will eventually be deposited elsewhere in the area to improve soil conditions.

David Czemanske, a member of the executive committee of the Angeles Chapter of the Sierra Club, said of the recycling plan: "How am I supposed to be satisfied with such a trivial mitigation as that?"

-- Louis Sahagun

Photo: Few trees remained Wednesday in a grove cleared to make way for dredged mud. Credit: Mark Boster /Los Angeles Times

 

Comments

[chad]

The Highland Homeowners Association among other foothill communities are complete idiots for building and buying homes near the most erosive mountain range in the world. Now that you have some good wood, go build a house somewhere else, like in Hell!

[curtis j reynolds]

To the L>A> Chapter of the Sierra Club , Be glad that your yard is not under water from the fire area just up the road from this tree cut area. Perhaps if you have any wood products in your house like furniture, paper towels, toilet paper, personel checks, wood shingles, or any wood product you should gey rid of it NOW. All of these products plus much much more are made from TREES. Wood products. Get over it.

[Spook]

It's cheering to think that LA will be nuked for certain come any war :/

[tardigrade]

I think that what needs to be understood is that California Oaks are under attack not just by LA County PW but by an insect that is due to arrive soon from San Diego via the 405, the 5 and anywhere folks can carry firewood. This insect is the Golden-spotted Oak Borer. Read about it http://altadena.patch.com/articles/foothill-area-oaks-at-risk-of-insect-invasion

And then think about the this loss of oak trees just to have a place to put sludge.... I think this particular agency has very little regard for California.... Or did LA County not read up on this problem... homework guys!

[byetheway77]

Of course, the oaks will not come back. After a thorough cleanup, possibly some soil treatment and twenty-five years of growth, acorns might grow into oak trees which you could clasp your hands around their trunks. Now that the damage to the grove is done, I would not be surprised if the LA Board of Supervisors had design in mind for all that acreage; such as an arena for fotbol. The unofficial, hispaic leagues were given permission to play nearby, across the road from the park for the time being.

[jimthzz]

Stunning in their idiocy. I can't believe they couldn't have spared these trees.

Then they just consider them just so much chipped wood mulch.

"Earlier, Bob Spencer, a Public Works spokesman, said he expected the trees to be cleared within two days. "The wood will stay on site," he said. "It will be chipped and used as ground cover. Some of the stumps will be left to rot as part of the natural decaying process."

Spencer said the chipped wood and rotted stumps will eventually be deposited elsewhere in the area to improve soil conditions."

[SDH]

I'm an environmentalist and support the preservation of CA's natural habitats, but I find the comments-in-opposition to this more repulsive than the decision to cut down this grove. All of us live on once unscathed soil, in homes constructed out of groves, and surround ourselves with furniture made from once living oaks. Each of us cause far more damage to the environment every year than this. Our lifestyle in CA necessitates this destruction. If you want to stop this in the future, start by changing your own lifestyle.

[Thatwood B. Telling]

David Czemanske, a member of the executive committee of the Angeles Chapter of the Sierra Club, said of the recycling plan: "How am I supposed to be satisfied with such a trivial mitigation as that?"

David would be doing the cause a favor if he stopped feeding lines to the media in such personal terms. Few people care about your level of satisfaction, David-- fewer still among those who read articles in which you're quoted.

[Mangello]

Who was in charge of this decision? I'm really skeptical that there was no other way to do this. I hope anyone involved in deciding these trees should be cut down is fired. We are losing entire ecosystems in California and this is not helping.

[glenn grab]

It's 13 acres, big deal, the Station fire burned a few hundred thousand acres. They need the land for flood control.. Plant a tree in your yard or in the forest, it'll make you feel superior, more evolved, isn't that what this is all about anyway?

[environmentalrep]

Should have set aside the native plants for re-landscaping the site after filling. At the very least collect acorns, seed, small trees (ever heard of a "tree spade") from native plants, set aside or propagate them in a "Native Plant Rescue Nursery" for replanting the site, even offer them for sale locally! Now we have lost some more genetic diversity from Los Angeles few remaining wild and native species! Heck, we can't even use the beautiful wood (Old Growth Live Oak, Spalled Sycamore), we just know how to destroy all beautiful, all natural, all god given wild areas! When will the insanity reverse, this is unsustainable, unwholesome and unhealthy in every concievable way!

[Brian]

What happens when the flood waters send mud and debris though our neighborhood and put us out of our homes! WE CAN’T HAVE IT BOTH WAYS, no one wants to lose the trees but on the other hand do you want to be the one to ask for higher taxes to truck the materials across the state or maybe fill the existing SPS so that we can pay more every year to maintain these basins? It sickens me to know that the only people with all the answers and have the higher calling are all out climbing tress!

[byetheway77]

This is a sign of the times.

[byetheway77]

Los Angeles County transports its refuse to the Salton Sea area by railroad. Hey, muck goes well with garbage. Many cities have laws that protect the native oak trees, of which, many are between 60 to 100 years old and provide a habit for the Western Blue Bird and other species that are vanishing. The pretence for this destruction of native flora and fauna is that the county saved money by doing this. Not many of us will still be living when the county gets around to removing the muck and the eventual cleanup will cost plenty. In the meantime, the dump will undoubtedly start fungal growth and stench in and around the area of the dumping. As usual, the LA County Board of Supervisors has acted foolishly like when the majority of them vote to protect social services for the illegal immigrant Mexicans at the expense of taxpayers and our environment.

[elissa kline]

This is hideously wrong. You cut down 250 old growth trees for what purpose? To store debris? So the wood is chipped to cover the ground. what about all the animals that used that area as their habitat? For shame...

[2cents]

any fall ON the protesters? no ... too bad

[DVG]

Barney Knob is also not immortal, but I am sure being bulldozed today is not on his agenda.

[la rider]

WHY

[Steve]

More evidence to support my theory that the human race is actually de-evolving.

[Barney Knob]

Trees are not immortal

[Jim]

Let the rape of mother earth continue.

[Rick]

Absolutely sickening example of dinosaur 1950s thinking. What should we expect from Los Angeles, home of stealing water "fair and square," strip malls and car culture. No other more reasonable options? We as a world have got to stop thinking this way. There were probably other options available but they were more of a hassle than just cutting down trees that are freely described as "majestic."

Like open space, trees once gone don't come back. Makes me sick.

[A.]

This makes me sick to my stomach. This reminds me of when "officials" and Ralph Horowitz were in such a hurry to decimate the South Central Farm. What have they done with that parcel of land?! IT'S AN EMPTY LOT.

These subhuman cogs (DPW staff, City of Arcadia, and the actual treecutters) need to examine their role in this senselessness, but unfortunately cogs will do what cogs are meant to do---continue to perform their job regardless of the shameful results.

[Fezco]

I was there this morning... a real somber mood indeed. An observer noted to me: "It is like a wake." "No, my friend," I replied, "It is an execution."
Arcadia Highlands Homeowners Association, you should be ashamed. Given a choice between dumptrucks down Santa Anita and 11 acres of Oaks.... you chose destruction. I hope the racoons you evicted take up residence in your mcmansions.

[Dave Wyman]

This is an example of government at its worst, of government run amok, needless descruction that upsets the people government should be serving.

[DVG]

What a disaster. Everyone involved including the DPW, the Sheriff, the Supervisors, the Arcadia residents who didn't speak up, the City of Arcadia, and the people actually doing the bulldozing needs to examine the role they played in this and do some soul searching. These trees were not killed for lumber, for tract housing, or for gold mining. They were killed so that the county could dump mud in the most convenient manner. This is 2011, not 1951. I hope our children forgive us. At least some of us tried.

[Ent wife]

An absolute tragedy.