TO: COMMUNITY AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION
FROM: JEREMY SWAN, COMMUNITY SERVICES DIRECTOR
DATE: JULY 15, 2026
SUBJECT:
Title
TREE PLANTINGS AND REMOVALS FOR APRIL 2026
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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 April 2026. There were twenty-six trees planted and six trees removed in the month of April 2026.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the Community and Human Services Commission receive and file the tree plantings and removals report for April 2026.
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ALTERNATIVE TO RECOMMENDATION
In addition to the recommendation, there is the following alternative:
• Refer the item back to staff for additional information.
FINANCIAL REVIEW
Twenty-six trees were planted during the month of April 2026. One 24”-box-sized tree was planted at a cost of $420. Twenty-five 15-gallon-sized trees were planted at a cost of $220 each, for a total of $5,500. The total cost to plant all twenty-six trees in the month of April 2026 was $5,920.
Six trees were removed during the month of April 2026. Two trees were removed by staff at no cost to the city, and four trees were removed by the City’s contractor, West Coast Arborists, Inc. (WCA). The removal cost for three trees was based on the diameter at breast height of the tree, for a total of $2,009. The removal of one tree was charged at the hourly emergency rate for a total of $600. The total cost to the City for tree removals during the month of April 2026 is $2,609.
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
There were twenty-six trees planted in the month of April 2026. One 24”-box-sized tree and twenty-five 15-gallon-sized tree were planted. All twenty-six trees were planted in the City’s rights-of-way. A list of trees planted during the month of April 2026 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, in a state of advanced decline, 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 reasons for removal listed in the report will be based upon the conditions listed in the manual.
Six trees were removed from the City’s rights-of-way during the month of April 2026. City staff removed two trees, and WCA removed four trees. These removals include trees that were deemed by the City Arborist dead, in a state of advanced decline, or hazardous. A listing of trees removed by address is included as Attachment B. Sample photos of the trees removed during the month of April 2026 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 - April 2026
B - Trees Removed by Address - April 2026
C - Photos of Removed Trees - April 2026