TO: COMMUNITY AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION
FROM: JEREMY SWAN, COMMUNITY SERVICES DIRECTOR
DATE: MAY 1, 2024
Reviewed by:
City Manager: n/a
SUBJECT:
Title
TREE PLANTINGS AND REMOVALS FOR FEBRUARY 2024
Body
SUMMARY
The adopted Tree Policies and Guidelines Manual requires the Community Services Department to provide a monthly report on tree plantings and removals. This report includes information on City tree plantings and removals for the month of February 2024. There were forty-three trees planted and nineteen trees removed in the month of February 2024.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommended Action
Staff recommends the Community and Human Services Commission receive and file the tree plantings and removals report for February 2024.
Body
ALTERNATIVES TO RECOMMENDATION
In addition to the recommendation, there is the following alternative:
• Refer the item back to staff for additional information.
FINANCIAL REVIEW
Forty-three trees were planted during the month of February 2024. All forty-three trees were planted by the City’s contractor, West Coast Arborists, Inc. (WCA). Forty-one 15-gallon-sized trees were planted at a cost of $220 each, for a total of $9,020. Two 36”-box-sized trees were planted at a cost of $1,100 each, for a total of $2,200. The total cost to plant all forty-three trees was $11,220.
Nineteen trees were removed during the month of February 2024. Two trees were removed by City staff at no cost to the City, and seventeen trees were removed by WCA. The removal cost is based on the diameter at breast height of the tree, and the total cost for removing the nineteen trees was $14,063.
ANALYSIS
The Community Services Department is responsible for the daily management of the City’s urban forest, including the planting and removal of City trees. The City-Council-adopted Tree Policies and Guidelines Manual establishes the standards governing the tree planting and removal process.
Plantings
Forty-three trees were planted during the month of February 2024. All forty-three trees were planted by WCA within the City’s rights-of-way and parks. Forty-one trees were 15-gallon size, and two were 36”-box size. The two 36”-box-sized trees were planted at Memorial Park. These trees replaced two 36”-box-sized trees that were donated to the City last January. The two trees declined rapidly in the fall, ultimately leading to removal. A listing of trees planted by address is included as Attachment A.
Removals
It is the City's policy to protect and preserve healthy trees that provide valuable benefits to our environment and to the quality of life in Claremont. However, staff has the authority to remove City trees if a tree is considered dead, diseased, or hazardous. Additionally, per the Tree Policies and Guidelines Manual, staff has the authority to remove trees that are causing hardscape/infrastructure damage if the repairs cannot be made without severe root pruning that would jeopardize the health and stability of the tree. To be consistent with the Tree Policies and Guidelines Manual, the reason for removal listed in the report will be based upon the conditions listed in the manual.
Nineteen trees were removed during the month of February 2024. City staff removed two trees from the City’s rights-of-way and parks, and seventeen trees were removed by WCA from the City’s rights-of-way and parks. These removals include trees that were deemed dead, diseased, or hazardous by the City Arborist, and a listing of trees removed by address is included as Attachment B. Samples of some of the trees removed during the month of February 2024 are included as Attachment C.
CEQA REVIEW
This item is not subject to environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
PUBLIC NOTICE PROCESS
The agenda and staff report for this item have been posted on the City website and distributed to interested parties. If you desire a copy, please contact the City Clerk’s Office.
Submitted by: Prepared by:
Jeremy Swan Cari Dillman
Community Services Director Community Services Manager
Attachments:
A - Trees Planted by Address - February 2024
B - Trees Removed by Address - February 2024
C - Photos of Removed Trees - February 2024