Trees Saved through Herculean Efforts of Arborist Carl Mellinger

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This giant pine tree was cut by DWP workers in the 800 block of Radcliffe Avenue.

Arborist Carl Mellinger was angry. After the devastating Palisades Fire, trees were unnecessarily chopped down in Pacific Palisades. Although some had been scorched, many were not dead, and Mellinger said they did not need to be removed.

“The surviving trees are truly irreplaceable,” Mellinger said, “Many of our fire-resistant species – Chinese elm, sycamore, magnolia, fern pine, ficus, and others – have survived. We are concerned about unnecessary removals and the long-term impact on our urban canopy.”

He targeted two groups that seemed to be responsible for removing trees, the Army Corp of Engineers and Department of Water and Power.

Mellinger first went to the Corps and spoke to ACE’s Colonel Eric Swenson, who was receptive and listened to Mellinger.

The Corps has a California Certified arborist that goes onto a site slated for debris. He/she will make a recommendation about whether a tree should be removed.

After Mellinger spoke with Swenson, a tree waiver was posted on the Corps site: https://recovery.lacounty.gov/debris-removal/phase-2/#1741114841068-ad25e7fc-fe3e
Even though a tree may have been identified as hazardous by a Corps arborist and one that needed to be removed, a homeowner could sign a waiver taking responsibility for the tree.

Resident Sandy Eddy reported on her trees and the Corps debris clearance on social media “They were so respectful and followed through on our requests to save the trees.

“Luckily, they are using an arborist who verifies that the trees are alive,” Eddy said. “Our arborist has also been part of the mix. I had no idea how many Palisadians actually have their own personal arborists. I’m thrilled that people truly are concerned about saving the trees.”

Harder to hold accountable was the Department of Water and Power.

Parkway trees were being cut down throughout the Village. A row of palms was cut down along Swarthmore between Antioch and Bowdoin. One resident stopped DWP from cutting down trees in her backyard. Along Radcliffe, a towering pine tree was cut, leaving the trunk. Newly planted trees by the bocce courts were cut.

Mellinger contacted DWP and asked about the tree cutting and a first meeting was held on March 6. He was told, “We’ll get back to you.”

A second meeting was held on March 13, with Katherine Rubin, the Director of Environmental Affairs at Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. Mellinger was accompanied by Nurit Katz, David Card and Stephanie Landregan, a landscape educator from UCLA. “We queried the DWP with many questions and concerns regarding premature removals, unnecessary removals, multiple removals and removals of trees on private property,” Mellinger said.

He pointed out that Swarthmore has lost many, many Canary Island palm trees. The group was told that an eyewitness had told DWP that the trees had caught fire, although the buildings around them were unscathed.

Mellinger pointed out that the community was not informed nor was urban forestry (Los Angeles Street Services) of the numerous tree removals.

“My big concern is why would trees get cut down because they were in the way of lines that are essentially going to be temporary lines and then put in the ground,” Mellinger said. “I think a major mistake has been made on the part of DWP.” Residents have been told that power lines will be put underground and that the new steel poles being put up are only temporary.

Mellinger asked, “Who is going to replace these trees? in my opinion, it should be DWP who should plant substantial large trees, where the beautiful palms have lived for decades.”

A subsequent meeting was held with Rubin on March 18, and DWP said it needed more time to investigate. Mellinger contacted Rubin again on March 25.

CTN reached out to DWP the same day. DWP Public information officer Christina Holland said, “While LADWP has completed restoring power to thousands of customers able to receive power in the Pacific Palisades, we continue to work towards restoring power to the remaining few located in hard to reach areas. This effort has involved making temporary repairs, including setting poles, stringing wires, and installing transformers above ground in an effort to get as many customers capable of having power reenergized. In some instances, tree trimming is necessary to ensure safety clearance between power infrastructure and nearby trees. LADWP works with certified arborists to ensure that it is done in a safe and responsible manner.”

The row of Canary Island palm trees that lined Swarthmore was cut by DWP.                                                                       Photo: RICH SCHMITT/CTN

Certified arborist Eli Johnson of Johnson Tree Company wrote in a post that “I’ve been assessing trees for clients in the Palisades all week. The heavy questions are about the life expectancy of their trees. I have assessed trees for disease and health for years in my career but never on a lot where the house is burned down, and the trees are what is left surviving.

“I’ve seen a lot of trees that WILL make it. I’ve seen a lot of hopefuls. I see the birds come back perching on a branch while they share their song with their fellow birds. I see the new green growth on the tips of these charred trees that survived a wild firestorm — I see some promising new growth for us all.”

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