California Black Walnuts are a protected native tree on undeveloped Hillside lots according to the City Of Los Angeles (ordinance 177404) . Unfortunately, for the past several years, the City's Department of Street Trees which oversees the inspection of trees for the Board of Public Works (when it comes to hillside development) has failed to protect this increasingly threatened native tree.
Citing 1000 Cankers Disease, the Dept of Street Trees is not allowing developers to replace California Black Walnuts with the same tree species, when they cut Black Walnuts down permitted by the Protected Native Tree Ordinance 177404. The Board of Public Works, who oversees the Dept of Street Trees, and the Dept of City Planning, who implemented the Protected Native Tree Ordinance, have failed to protect the future of this tree species. Since at lease 2011, they've been allowing developers to cut down Black Walnuts and replace them with another species, thus endangering the future of this tree species in our increasingly dense hillside neighborhoods.
Isn't it time we revisit the tree ordinance and actually protect these trees?
