A New Urban Forest Program

By Susan J. Hartley

Santa Monica needs to revamp its urban forest program to protect and enhance, not destroy.

I drafted with a co-member Friends of Sunset Park's recommendations for our urban forest. FOSP's recommendations are mine and I quote them here:

"Although a more ambitious street tree/larger canopy program will be more costly, we believe that the environmental and aesthetic benefits will far outweigh the additional costs. Benefits include shade and protection from the sun, absorption of CO2, oxygen production through photosynthesis, filtration of polluted air and water, retention of storm water runoff, providing wildlife habitat, reduction of the heat island effect, the beauty of a street tree canopy, and increased property values.

"An enhanced street tree program should include: · Making the maximization of each tree's canopy a primary objective of the street tree program. · Reexamining tree selection in the street tree plan, both species and the size of specimens planted, as well as size of canopy at maturation. · Making removal of trees a last resort. · Establishing regular ongoing community education programs regarding our urban forest, emphasizing street tree care and maintenance. · Reexamining our policies for root pruning and sidewalk maintenance with an eye to minimizing, if not eliminating, harmful root pruning. · Considering expansion of parkway widths to preserve existing trees and to allow planting of larger trees.

"We believe that in order to achieve these goals the community needs greater participation in policy-making and decision-making, as well as oversight of our urban forest. To that end we strongly believe that a Tree Commission or similar body is necessary.

"We believe Santa Monica should set as a high priority goal having the best urban forest, having the largest tree canopy, and having the premier street tree program in California."

In addition, Santa Monica needs to establish a group like San Francisco's Friends of the Urban Forest, which educates, encourages and assists residents in tree care, tree planting, and tree preservation. Santa Monica also needs to have a private tree protection ordinance so that trees with a certain trunk diameter on private property are not destroyed.