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By Jason Islas
Lookout Staff

September 9, 2011 -- A crowd turned out Wednesday to argue for their favorite tree species – palms, ficus, pines and more – picked to replace the woods that line their streets.

The Urban Forest Task Force meeting, which filled the room at Thelma Terry Building in Virginia Avenue Park, was held to hear feedback from residents about what species they want to replace old and diseased trees in Santa Monica.

“We adore our palm trees,” Taffy Patton from the 19th Street Palm Tree Coalition said, calling the palm-lined trees between Wilshire Boulevard and Montana Avenue “iconic.”

Residents praise the palms of Marguerita Street. Photo courtesy of Russ Whittenburg

The pollen from the pine trees now designated to replace any palms that may become diseased or die along the route are catalysts for asthma, said Patton.

Her sentiments were echoed by many other speakers.

“I think [the palms] make Santa Monica Santa Monica,” said a resident to applause from the crowd.

“Santa Monica is known for its palms,” said another.

The proposal to replace the palms with a different species has raised already controversy. Residents from 18th and 21st Streets successfully lobbied for the designated replacement of palms on their streets to be changed from sycamores to palms.

Russ Whittenburg, who lives in the affected neighborhood, sent an e-mail to the Task Force on September 5th in which he articulated a viewpoint that was repeated by several speakers at the meeting.

“There is one section left in our area that needs to be addressed – the palm trees on Marguerita between 17th and 22nd streets. Please also maintain this historic palm-lined vista by deleting any mention of camphors or any other non-palm species as replacements in the Master Plan for this stretch of Marguerita, and instead specify that replacement and alternate trees be the same as on 18th and 21st [Streets],” he wrote.

Ficuses also drew some impassioned debate, but the crowd seemed split. Some decried the sprawling root systems they develop and the arduous upkeep they require while others said they enjoyed the shade provided by their canopies.

The main reason the Task Force is making drawing up the Master Plan, they say, is to ensure species diversity.

“We are too dependent on too few species,” Task Force Member Grace Phillips said. Lack of species diversity makes Santa Monica's urban forest susceptible to diseases which are becoming more prevalent as the climate warms, she said.

But the Master Plan is meant to provide a framework for the future of Santa Monica's urban forest, not for its immediate transformation.

Task Force Chair Judy Abdo repeatedly told the crowd, “No trees will be cut down unless they are dead, diseased or hazardous.”

The task force plans to hold another meeting on Wednesday September 14th and another on September 26th. They will make final changes to the draft after an October 5th meeting then the plan will go before the City Council for approval on December 13th.

Comments can be e-mailed to the task force at tree@smgov.net. For more information, go to http://www.smgov.net/portals/urbanforest/.