Healthy and mature trees are getting cut down everyday in Los Angeles.   

In most cases illegally, during nesting season and to serve the private interests of builders.

Click on the image below to read the full article recently released by USC.

The Mayor and other elected officials have justified the destruction by commenting on 

how many juvenile trees they have planted in their place.

City Council and the Mayor repeatedly fail to acknowledge the voluminous evidence on the differences between a 25 year old tree and all of its benefits, versus a newly planted juvenile tree, that would not only be lucky to survive the conditions and tight space allotted to exist, but would take decades

to establish itself to provide all of the benefits we gain from mature trees.


PRESERVE LA TREES has sent dozens of letters and informational material on why the138 mature trees at Chase Knolls is not a wise decision.


View the most recent letter written to LA City Council Members by clicking on the image to the right.




CitywatchLa.com writer Beth Cone-Kramer covers the Chase Knolls story here.




Click Here to locate the Councilmember in your district to make sure your voice is heard.   Continue to tell your Council person to stop destroying the mature trees of Los Angeles.


SAVE COLDWATER CANYON  is working hard to protect more than 160 PROTECTED trees from destruction.

Please take just one minute to sign the PETITION and be a part of helping to prevent this tragedy.

The City of Los Angeles Ordinance 177404 has a total of 4 'protected' tree species which are listed below.   What you don't know, is how this ordinance hardly protects; but is more of a guide on instructions and fees associated with how to remove them. 

Oak tree

Valley Oak (Quercus lobata) 

California Live Oak (Quercus agrifolia) 

Black Walnut

(Juglans californica var. californica)


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Western Sycamore

(Platanus racemosa) 

California Bay 

(Umbellularia californica)

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The CONSERVATION ELEMENT OF THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES GENERAL PLAN


California native oaks. 

The only plant group specifically protected by city ordinance is native oaks. The ordinance prohibits destruction of the Valley oak (Quercus lobata) and California live oak (Quercus agrifolia) and any tree of the oak genus indigenous to California which measures eight inches or more in diameter four and one-half feet above the ground (Ordinance No. 153,478). It excludes scrub oaks (Quercus dumosa aka Quercus herberidifolia) and nursery grown oaks. The Department of Public Works enforces the ordinance. The Department of City Planning may authorize removal or relocation relative to subdivision permits. Public works, as the primary enforcement agency, has the authority to authorize relocation or removal under certain circumstances, such as public endangerment. ( p. II-13)


We continue to ask what good a Protected Tree Ordinance is when the Los Angeles  City Council can simply ask the Board of Public Works to remove them.

5 Coast Live Oaks were removed in February 2016 on Laurel Canyon Blvd at the request of City Council.  The sole purpose and justification:  to widen the street.