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Pasadena’s tree heritage is hard to oversell. The first street trees were planted in the city more than 30 years before incorporation.
As is common in most cities with healthy urban forests, the residents and policy makers of the city value their trees and have taken numerous steps to protect them. For example, Pasadena’s master street tree plan – first adopted in 1991 – established the city’s goals and strategies for maintaining a healthy urban forest.
However, a master plan only sets out the goals and methods to attain them; a master plan usually fails to provide protection for local trees. Therefore, in response to the loss of several noteworthy trees, Pasadena residents began speaking out and lobbying their elected officials. This culminated with the adoption of a tree protection ordinance in 2002. This ordinance...
- Establishes standards of care for the city’s trees and landmark trees.
- Prevents reasonless removal of trees on both public and private property.
- Requires a permit for the removal of most of the city's trees.
- Protects 13 different species of native tree.
- Helps promote a healthy and diverse urban forest.
To encourage citizen engagement, a 10-day public comment period occurs before the removal of significant trees.
In addition to the typical trees growing around town, Pasadena loves its landmark trees and encourages citizens to nominate particularly noteworthy, large, historic or rare trees for such a listing. Some of the characteristics considered in the process are the health and status of the tree, the public benefit of the tree and the potential to improve the urban forest canopy by replacing the tree.
The city of Pasadena also takes the protection of trees during development projects very seriously.
Before any development can begin, an approved tree protection plan must be in place. These plans must include the use of root protection fencing, prevention of mechanical trauma to the trees and outline the care of the trees during all phases of the project. Failure to obtain such approval can prevent the issuance of an occupancy permit or result in the forfeiture of bonds.
Nevertheless, although they represent a net positive for Pasadena, the 118,000 private trees, 61,000 street trees and 25,000 park trees in the city can cause problems. All too often, these conflicts pit residents, businesses and city officials against one another, leading to expensive legal battles and strained relationships.
Construction projects may encounter costly delays and building permits may be denied if the city’s tree ordinances are not followed. Invasive root systems may damage lawns, driveways and sidewalks, while large trees may block impressive vistas or shade gardens. Even more troubling, stressed or diseased trees may shower your property with falling branches, which can lead to property damage, personal injury or worse.
Reaching a satisfactory solution to these problems requires a skillset that exceeds that of the average tree company — it requires the type of knowledge and experience that only Evergreen Arborist Consultants can provide.
Whether you need your trees appraised, an expert witness to testify on your behalf or assistance with eminent domain issues, we are here to help. With over 40 years of industry experience, we have what it takes to help Pasadena businesses and residents resolve their tree-related problems.
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