PPCC Library Integration Test

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Dear PPCC President Maryam Zar,
The Palisades Forestry Committee (PFC) respectively applies for PPCC Board membership as an organization
in the Culture and Aesthetics category. PFC was formed at the suggestion of George Wolfberg during his term
as PPCC Chair, and he was one of the original committee members. Our Mission Statement was approved by a
vote of PPCC Board, a copy of which is attached with our application and member list.
We were created because the original street tree planting organization, Palisades Beautiful, formed in the
1970’s, was having difficulty agreeing on tree species selection and street design. As a consequence, the city’s
Urban Forestry Division (UFD), StreetsLA, stopped planting street trees in Pacific Palisades. The city asked
PPCC to decide what the community wanted, so PFC was formed.
The new PFC deliberated on our Mission Statement, our organization, and an action plan for getting trees in the
ground, which took much discussion and quite some time. We brought in UFD and others as advisors, who we
have continued to work with over the years. We thoroughly researched about 200 tree species from various
street tree lists for their multiple attributes, strengths and weaknesses, and we continue to do so.
Our first project was to plant street trees on Hartzell in the Alphabet streets. Our successful experience of
planting trees there has helped us shape our process. With the help of an owner on a street (Block Leader), we
scout where there are parkway vacancies, and we ask the homeowner if they would like a free street tree. If
they agree to water the tree and sign up, we get the okay from UFD and place the order with CityPlants, which
hires a contractor to plant the trees, such as LA Conservation Corps. We act as the facilitator, not the
contractor. We are now in the process with several streets in Santa Monica Canyon and Via de la Paz (orders
submitted), and we just scouted vacancies on El Medio (south of Sunset).
We have also been active in planting trees in our public parks. Last November, we facilitated getting six new
trees planted in Palisades Recreation Center, replacing trees that had fallen. The species and locations were
approved by the arborist from Urban Forestry Division of Rec & Parks (RAP UFD), the park’s Director, and the
Park Advisory Board. The trees were purchased by Randy Young (thank you Randy) and PPCC (our 100th
Anniversary contribution), and they were planted by RAP Maintenance Division staff. We are also working
with multiple Pali Rec Center stake holders to remove the dead and dying Pittosporum trees along the Alma
Real / Rec Center property line, and replace them with about 54 RAP UFD approved trees. This will not only
re-establish shade on that edge of the park, but also eventually screen the lights from the tennis courts. This
project is going to take some time to select a contractor, raise private funding, and get final approval from RAP.
PFC has been working to facilitate the planting “100 Trees for 100 Years”, which PFC brought to the Board as
PPCC’s participation in the 100th Anniversary of the founding of Pacific Palisades. PFC has helped and
participated in the planting of trees on Hartzell, the planting of two native trees on the January 14, 2022
anniversary celebration day (an Oak in Founders Island, and a Sycamore at Simon Meadow’s habitat area), and
the six new trees at the Pali Rec Center. I’ve helped Randy Young in his Will Rogers State Park tree planting
project, which will go in the ground this year: 15 California Peppers and 102 Blue Gums (100 of which are
being contract grown at a nursery from seed, due for delivery by the end of the year), replacing the natural
attrition of trees there. With the Will Rogers trees and the street tree applications to CityPlants, we should be
well over 100 new trees by the end of the year. That doesn’t even count the approximately 150 trees planted
last year at George Wolfberg Park at Potrero Canyon.
We hope that our application will be well received by the PPCC Board. We look forward to answering any
questions.
David Card, landscape designer
Chair, Palisades Forestry Committee