24” dbh Monterey Pine Tree on City Property
Location: Carpenter St. & 5th Av., S.E. Corner (on 5th Av., right of telephone pole)
Applicants: Sharon And Larry De St. Jeor
Reason for Removal: Resurface Driveway directly west of Monterey Pine Tree
At the 5 April 2007 meeting of the Forest and Beach Commission, there were three applications/public hearings from Carmel-by-the–Sea property owners requesting removal of Monterey Pine trees. The Commission members approved the removal of three Monterey Pine trees and stipulated the planting of Canary Island Pines as replacement trees.
CITY OF CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA
FOREST AND BEACH COMMISSION
REGULAR MEETING AGENDA
Thursday, April 5, 2007
I. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL
Peggy Miller, Chairperson
Kathleen Coss (Absent)
Nancy John
Tad Pritchett
Bob Tierney
VI. APPLICATIONS/PUBLIC HEARINGS
Consideration of an application to remove two (20” and 25” dbh) Monterey pine trees due to damage to the retaining walls. The site is located on Dolores 3 NE of 1st. The applicant is Natalie Taggart.
Forest and Beach Commissioners PEGGY MILLER, NANCY JOHN, TAD PRITCHETT AND BOB TIERNEY voted unanimously to approve removal of one of the Monterey Pine trees with the stipulation that it be replaced on the lot by a 3-5 gallon Canary Island Pine.
Consideration of an application to remove one 24’ dbh Monterey pine tree growing on City property to resurface the driveway. The site is located on the SE corner of Carpenter and 5th. The applicants are Sharon and Larry De St. Jeor.
Forest and Beach Commissioners PEGGY MILLER, NANCY JOHN, TAD PRITCHETT AND BOB TIERNEY voted unanimously to approve removal of the Monterey Pine tree with the stipulation that it be replaced on the lot by a 3-5 gallon Canary Island Pine.
Consideration of an application to remove 1-9” dbh cypress tree, 1-48” dbh eucalyptus, 1-323’ dbh eucalyptus and 1-28’ dbh pine tree to enhance safety, vitality and beauty of the Urban Forest, and prune dead and intertwining branches of 4 additional trees. All trees are growing on public property. The site is located on the NE corner of San Antonio and 7th. The applicant is Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Dodson, the applicant is Nancy Porteous-Thomas.
Forest and Beach Commissioners PEGGY MILLER, TAD PRITCHETT AND BOB TIERNEY voted unanimously to approve removal of the 9” cypress, 28” pine and two eucalyptus trees. It was stipulated that two 24” boxed Canary Island Pines and two 23” boxed Coast Live Oaks be planted as replacement trees.
Forest Management Plan
Appendix G
CITY OF CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA
RECOMMENDED TREE SPECIES LIST
Monterey pines (Pinus radiata) and cypresses (Cypressus macrocarpa) are the primary upper canopy trees of the forest and the planting of these species shall receive the greatest priority in appropriate situations.
Pinus radita – “Monterey Pine”
An attractive pine that creates the forested character of our village. A fast growing native species, which naturally occurs along the coast of central California, and can rapidly attain 70-100 feet. It is best suited to coastal landscapes where it becomes drought tolerant. Monterey pine has the form of a pyramid, but at maturity develops a rounded or flatish crown. Accepts lots of water, but can get overgrown and die at early ages, therefore, watering should be limited to the first few years after planting. (Native, evergreen, upper canopy tree).
Pinus canariensis – “Canary Island Pine”
Native to the Canary Islands. Is a handsome tree that grows to 60-80 feet tall. Long (9-12inch) blue-green needles. Somewhat gawky appearance as a very young tree changing to a slender pyramid shape, finally developing a round canopy with tiered limbs at maturity. Drought tolerant and resistant to oak root fungus. (Upper canopy tree).
COMMENTS:
While the Forest and Beach Commission is instituting a dramatic policy change by stipulating the planting of non-native, exotic, tropical Canary Island Pines as replacement trees for removed Monterey Pine trees, the Friends of Carmel Forest recently gave away 93 pitch canker resistant Monterey Pine seedlings to individuals willing to plant them. As Friends of Carmel Forest President Clayton Anderson recently wrote, the planting of these seedlings will help “enhance and perpetuate Carmel’s Tree City reputation for many years in the future.”
3 comments:
Question: Did the Forest and Beach Commission ever say why they stipulated non-native replacement trees or was it because they can?
Another example of the city disregarding the rules while expecting everyone else to abide by them?
Answers to the preceding questions, as follows:
Forest & Beach Commissioner Nancy John first proposed removing Monterey Pines from the City’s Recommended Trees Species List; she cited the threat of pitch canker. She proposed the substitution of Canary Island Pines for approved removals of Monterey Pines. At a later meeting, both Chairperson Peggy Miller and Commissioner Bob Tierney expressed support for the substitution of Canary Island Pines for removed Monterey Pines. Peggy Miller also cited Mr. Coates, (an arborist who performed a free 1 block survey of trees in the commercial district and who the F & B Commission wants to conduct an entire commercial district tree survey), who agreed and recommended Canary Island Pines instead of Monterey Pines. For perspective, it should be emphasized that Mr. Coates does not live here; he seemingly is not aware of the Monterey Pine being protected in the LCP and historically being Carmel’s “signature tree,” not to mention the wrong-headed idea of planting non-native trees in a traditional urbanized forest of native Monterey Pines and thereby degrading the integrity of the native forest. Acting City Forester Mike Branson has largely been passive; he has not initiated a substantive discussion on this issue.
Also important is the fact that the April 2007 F & B Commission meeting was the first meeting where Canary Island Pines were substituted for approved removed Monterey Pines as if that is now the rule, rather than the exception.
As far as the city disregarding the rules, et cetera. An informed observer of the F & B Commission Members concluded that F & B Commissioner Kathleen Coss is the most informed member, while Chairperson Peggy Miller, Commissioners Bob Tierney and Nancy John are not well informed and on many issues ill-informed. Unfortunately, City Forester Mike Branson does not seem to lead these members towards making well-informed decisions.
This is crazy. For these uninformed commissioners to have the power to make forest policy decisions is dangerous to the traditions of Carmel. We all know Mayor Sue is trying to impose her view of Carmel on us in many ways. We will probably never know for sure if she is behind this change in our forest or if it is just the result of uninformed commissioners. But, she is responsible for those she appoints to these commissions. If she had allegiance to the forest traditions of Carmel, she would straighten this crazy situation out immediately. We will all have to wait and see.
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