LA County Dumps on Oaks and Sycamores in Arcadia

In the latest version of 'your tax dollars at work,' the Los Angeles County Flood Control District intends to start to clear 11.3 acres of old-growth oak and sycamore trees in Arcadia to create a dumping area for tons of debris dredged from the Santa Anita Dam.

This planned action should alarm Southern California nature lovers for two reasons:

First, this effort destroys a historic plantation of trees whose growth has taken decades to achieve in an area quickly losing tree canopies.

Secondly, this plan sets a precedent that could lead to similar old growth tree destruction in the Hahamongna Watershed Park in Pasadena next year when the County uses 'emergency funds' from FEMA to remove 1.2 million cubic feet of sediment from behind Devils Gate Dam.

Fortunately, open space activist Christle Balvin and the Sierra Club 'got wind' of the County's plan and have requested a meeting with the County to discuss alternatives to this tree removal.

And they need your help, to prove to the County that these trees matter. They've arranged an 'inspection tour' of the sediment disposal site for Saturday, December 4th at 9:30am at the end of Elkins Avenue in Arcadia. This is a case where body count may be the difference in protecting tree count. For more information, call 626-476-7324.