Submitted by the Pacific Palisades Community Council
The Palisades Forestry Committee (PFC) has arranged for the planting of 13 street trees on Thursday, March 24, 2022, in designated treeless spaces in the parkways along Hartzell Street, between Sunset Boulevard and Bestor Boulevard.
Pacific Palisades Community Council (PPCC) and the PFC, a committee of PPCC, aim to honor the town’s Centennial this year by facilitating the planting of “100 Trees for 100 Years,” in residential neighborhoods as well as at the Palisades Recreation Center park and other parks in Pacific Palisades.
The first of these trees, a Coast Live Oak, was planted on Founders Oak Island on January 14, the town’s official birthday, in conjunction with the Historical Society.
The PFC has recommended and the city’s Urban Forestry Division has approved two tree species (Mondell Pine and Arbutus ‘Marina’) to fill qualifying street tree vacancies along the parkway of the five blocks of Hartzell, where individual homeowners have pledged to water their tree regularly for at least three years, until the tree’s roots are established.
Thanks to City Plants, a program supported by the L.A. Department of Water and Power, the trees are free and are planted at no cost to the homeowner. City Plants has arranged for L.A. Conservation Corps to do the actual planting on March 24th, starting at 9 A.M.
After Hartzell, the PFC will facilitate a planting day along Via de la Paz (from Bestor to Via de las Olas), where homeowners who have space for a street tree can receive a free one. PFC will soon be canvasing the Via de la Paz neighbors, knocking on doors to explain the program and encourage sign ups for one of two recommended tree species.
The volunteer committee is also working with the Department of Recreation & Parks (RAP) and tree donors (including PPCC) to facilitate the planting of new trees at the Palisades Recreation Center this year. If approved by the city, the Maintenance Division of RAP will plant those donated trees. Other Palisades area city and state parks are also possible sites for new trees.
Under George Wolfberg’s leadership, the PFC was formed in 2019 as a committee of the PPCC, which endorses the PFC Mission Statement:
Enhance and sustain the health and beauty of the Pacific Palisades urban forest for future generations by facilitating the planting of appropriate trees and the caring for our existing trees;
Educate our community about the economic, environmental, health, social, emotional and aesthetic benefits of the trees that comprise our urban forest;
Protect the urban forest from unnecessary removals by better management, planning and enforcement, and honor the history of trees in the community; and
Establish a replicable model of a community urban forest task force for Pacific Palisades in partnership with the City of Los Angeles.
Cindy Wilkinson Kirven, Chair of the PFC, says: “I am very excited to celebrate the planting of trees along Hartzell, which was the first test street for the committee in establishing a community outreach plan. One of the many charming benefits of residing in Pacific Palisades is having the ability to live and walk along tree-lined streets. For me, trees have magical powers in cleaning our air, boosting our mental health, providing vital habitat for our feathered and furry neighbors, and providing cooling shade. I am very grateful for the neighbors who sign up to receive and care for these free street trees provided by the City, as well as for the volunteers at PFC and PPCC who facilitate the community outreach.”
The PFC can be reached for additional information at palisadesforestry@gmail.com. The names of the members and advisors of the PFC may be found on the PPCC website at http://pacpalicc.org/index.php/committees/ and additional information about the purpose of the committee may be found at http://pacpalicc.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Resolution-re-Street-Tree-Selections.pdf.
