PPCC Library Integration Test

## Extracted Text

Resolution re Street Tree Selections & Urban Forestry
Presented and adopted at the October 24, 2019 PPCC meeting
Whereas, Pacific Palisades is blessed with an abundant forest of trees, including street trees in our public
parkways, medians, and public right of ways, as well as in our public parks;
Whereas, the founders of Pacific Palisades and successive generations of civic leaders have recognized the
many benefits of a healthy and robust urban forest;
Whereas, the urban forest is the greatest generator of oxygen and other ecological benefits, as well as
providing economic, aesthetic, social, emotional and quality of life benefits;
Whereas, the Urban Forestry Division (UFD), City of Los Angeles, has recently done limited planting of street
trees in the Palisades, and both the Palisades community and the UFD agree on the need to work together to
facilitate the preservation and enhancement of our urban forest and its canopy;
Whereas, the PPCC formed the Palisades Forestry Committee (PFC), consisting of landscape professionals,
community organizations, tree advocates, and local government officials;
Whereas, after studying the issue for five months, at the September 12, 2019 PPCC meeting, the PFC
presented its report (the “Report”) dated September 1, 2019 and has since considered all comments submitted
in response;
Now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that the Pacific Palisades Community Council endorses the Mission Statement of the PFC in the
Report, as follows:
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.
RESOLVED further, that the PPCC specifically endorses the following street tree selection policy (the
“Policy”) (the language of which has been adapted from the PFC Report (Paragraphs 1, portions of 2A, and
2B), pursuant to edits approved by the PFC at its October 15, 2019 meeting for purposes of this Resolution):
1. Primary Objective: To facilitate the preservation, enhancement, and best practices management of the
Pacific Palisades community’s urban forest.
A. The initial focus is on street trees in the public parkways, medians and rights of way, both our existing trees
and the vacant spaces where street trees do not presently exist.
1

B. We aim to maximize the number of urban forest trees and their canopy by facilitating the planting of more
trees, and to minimize the number of trees that are removed.
C. The goal is to develop an urban forestry policy that increases the age and species diversity in the public
tree population, augments biomass and canopy coverage community wide, enhances the character and
aesthetics of our neighborhoods, and achieves exemplary stewardship of the forest for all who live and work
here.
2. Urban Forest Policy: To create urban forest policies that implement the Mission and the Primary
Objective, and to work with both the City of Los Angeles urban forestry leadership and the Pacific Palisades
community to discuss and adopt urban forest policies to achieve that objective. Such policies may include:
A. Selection Policy: The Committee has decided to use the following criteria for selecting appropriate species
of street trees, according to local circumstances and as permitted by the City of Los Angeles Urban Forestry
Division.
1) Criteria: The Right Tree in the Right Place. The right tree in the right place will be determined by the
following criteria, which will be considered when selecting street trees as vacancies occur:
a) Growspace Availability: Soil volume is the most important criterion. A bigger growspace allows for a
larger tree species, while small growspaces require smaller tree species. The preference is for the largest
species for the available growspace.
b) Water Requirements and Growing Conditions: The water requirement of the species and its ability to
withstand little watering when established. Micro- climate conditions, such as salt air, wind, heat, etc.
c) Species diversity: A new, different species, that does not share the same vulnerabilities.
d) Aesthetics and Neighborhood Character: Blend aesthetically with existing species and with the
neighborhood character.
e) Canopy Size: Consider the mature tree’s canopy size and form, and the proximity of buildings and other
structures or trees. Generally, the preference is for larger canopies.
f) Land Use and Traffic Considerations: Commercial vs. residential streets, truck clearance, pollution
tolerance, root pruning tolerance, pedestrian shade, overhead wires, etc.
g) Disease Resistance and Susceptibility.
h) Availability: Monitor tree availability, and research new species introductions.
i) Special Cases may be considered.
B. Diversity and Adaptation Over Time Policy: A policy of diversity of species, genus, form, and aesthetics
(evergreen, deciduous, broad leaf, small leaf, flowering or not, leaf color, etc.) across Pacific Palisades. A
policy of flexibility and adaptation to changing conditions over time.
Adopted by PPCC Board 10/24/19
Submission to Council District 11 and the UFD to follow
2