As the home to thousands of native oak trees, Santa Clarita’s long history and relationship with them dates back to the 1800s. With an abundant amount of oak trees in the area, it is the duty of Urban Forestry to maintain all of the oak trees lining the city’s parks, streets, and hiking trails. While Urban Forestry uses their time to maintain the growth and health or even remove sick or faltering trees, Urban Forestry also works in restoring oak trees as well as planting more to help enhance the views of Santa Clarita as well as boost the city’s air quality.
Standing as a staple to the SCV environment, oak trees are protected by the Oak Tree Preservation Ordinance to help promote their proper care. Because oak trees have such a natural history within the community, and their existence helps support a wide range of different plant life as well as animal life, the suitable care for each tree is taken into great consideration due to this ordinance. The ordinance has also come with great purpose due in part to the ongoing development occurring in the city and the resulting removal of great amounts of oak trees. The ordinance goes on to ensure the safety of trees by requiring the preservation of all healthy oak trees and the requirement of an oak tree permit when requesting a removal, relocation, or cutting of an oak tree in public or private property within the city.
After the ordinance was put into place in 1989, it has been the goal of Santa Clarita, as well as the Urban Forestry department, to promote and ensure the safety of the valley’s oak trees, as their beauty and magnificence have become a symbol for the area. The Santa Clarita City Council is proud of the impact that the ordinance has had on the oak trees in the city as well as the beauty of Santa Clarita. Urban Forestry works to provide a great quality of life for the standing oak trees and citizens of the SCV now as well as the ones in future generations.
To learn more about City of Santa Clarita Urban Forestry, click here.
We hope you can join us on April 16th and 17th, 2015 at one of the largest California Home and Garden Shows right here in Santa Clarita!