PART VI: Consulting Arborist’s “PREMINARY FINDINGS DURING A ONE BLOCK REVIEW OF CARMEL STREET TREES,” Current Observations & Comments/Conclusions

Overview Summary of the Coast Live Oak, Monterey Pine and Monterey Cypress

• Coast Live Oak
The specimens used as street trees are in planter space openings which are entirely too small for the trees requirement of oxygen and water.

Most specimens have been badly danaged, apparently every year, by oak leaf caterpillar.

In addition fruit tree leaf roller caterpillars have consumed new foliage each spring.

Adding to this loss of leaf surface, many trees have been severely overthinned, which further reduces the tree’s ability to feed itself.

In summary, the combination of consumption of foliage by caterpillars and the restrictions placed on the trees by human activity has caused the publicly owned coast live oaks in Carmel to be in poor to very poor condition with little hope of recovery unless procedures are changed.

• Monterey Pine
Most specimens are mature (80-110 years old) and are moderately to severely infected by pine pitch canker disease.

They will continue to die, one at a time over the next 10 years until the dominant tall tree canopy of Carmel is gone.

• Monterey Cypress
Most of the specimens seen as street trees are relatively young to middle aged, and if not over pruned should offer many more years of useful life.

Whether they are appropriate in 3-foot squares in city sidewalks is a separate subject of discussion.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS from “PREMINARY FINDINGS DURING A ONE BLOCK REVIEW OF CARMEL STREET TREES,” as follows:

We noted another Monterey cypress street tree which is a very healthy tree of about 30 feet in height which has been pruned up above the pedestrian areas and is high enough over the street to avoid being damaged by street repair equipment.

This is at the Hanson Art Store.

At the Garcia Gallery is a large Monterey pine with a very thin canopy.

There is a large coast live oak around which an innovative space has been left for root zone.

I suggest that that solution to the question of space for tree roots be considered for more frequent use.

Adjacent and near the corner of Dolores and Ocean Avenue is a coast live oak which is actively dangerous.

This tree is heavily infected with Artist’s conk (Ganoderma applanatum). That white rot disease consumes the tissue in the center of the tree and always results in the tree eventually falling over.

I strongly recommend that this tree be removed as soon as possible.

Notice the contrast in the typical Carmel tree canopy at the corner of 7th and Lincoln as compared with the opposite corner where no large trees are seen. Which of these views is what the citizens and visitors prefer?

On Lincoln Street across from the foundation is a big cone spruce (Pseudotsuga macrocarpa). You might want to consider use of that in other places in town.

At 9th near Dolores is an example of really severe lion’s-tail pruning on coast live oaks.

This is destructive pruning and reduces the value of the tree and increases the likelihood over the long term of limb failure.

Respectfully submitted,


Barrie D. Coate

Encl.: Assumptions and Limiting Conditions
Site Pictures