SUBJECT:
Please Protect the Mature Stone Pines on Warren Avenue and Moore Street
TO:
councilmember.park@lacity.org, star.parsamyan@lacity.org, jacob.burman@lacity.org, nancy.sutley@lacity.org, juan.fregoso@lacity.org, matthew.halden@lacity.org, luis.torres@lacity.org, keith.mozee@lacity.org, david.miranda@lacity.org, Ana.Tabuena-Ruddy@lacity.org, rachel.malarich@lacity.org, steve.kang@lacity.org, jenny.chávez@lacity.org, john.grant@lacity.org, faith.mitchell@lacity.org, ernesto.cardenas@lacity.org
Dear Councilmember Park and Members of the Board of Public Works,
I am writing to urge you to halt the planned removal of mature Stone Pines on Warren Avenue and Moore Street in Mar Vista. These trees are an irreplaceable community resource, and their removal would be a serious loss for both our neighborhood and the city as a whole.
Los Angeles’ own policies and environmental reviews emphasize that removing healthy street trees should be a last resort. The Urban Forestry Division requires public hearings for removals of three or more trees, and City guidelines highlight design solutions such as sidewalk ramping, root bridging, meandering walkways, and curb bump outs to preserve mature trees while addressing infrastructure issues. Residents have suggested these alternatives repeatedly, yet our concerns have gone unanswered.
The benefits of these Stone Pines are well documented. Mature trees reduce neighborhood air temperatures by as much as nine degrees, improve air quality by filtering pollutants, and store large amounts of carbon. They provide critical shade during increasingly dangerous heat waves, habitat for birds and pollinators, stormwater management, and even increase property values. Replacing them with small saplings, even at a two-to-one or three-to-one ratio, will not restore these benefits for decades.
I respectfully ask that you direct StreetsLA and the Urban Forestry Division to implement tree-preserving repair methods on Warren Avenue rather than cutting these historic trees. Please also ensure full public notice and hearings before any removal decisions are made.
We cannot afford to lose any more mature canopy in Los Angeles. I urge you to stand with your constituents and protect the Stone Pines that make our streets livable, resilient, and beautiful.
