Corps Vows to Use Trees Offered as ‘Urban Forest’

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said Thursday it would find a way to use 1,000 trees being offered by a San Fernando Valley business association that has launched a campaign--without the Army’s approval--to grow an “urban forest” in the Sepulveda Basin.

The Valley Industry and Commercial Assn. announced earlier this week that it wanted to raise $150,000 to buy the trees for a 60-acre site along the basin’s northern edge, at Victory and Balboa boulevards, where a proposed cultural center might be built.

The announcement caused confusion among officials from the Corps of Engineers, which owns the flood-control basin, and the city of Los Angeles, which leases the land for park use.

The association never asked permission to undertake a mass planting on the site, federal and city officials said.

They also said there might not be enough irrigation and land to sustain that many trees.

Thursday, however, the group planted a symbolic sycamore tree at the site and the corps said it would make every effort to put future donations to use.

“You don’t want to turn down 1,000 trees,” said Ruth Villalobos, chief of the corps’ Environmental Resources Branch. “We’d be willing to work with them.”

VICA has sent a fund-raising brochure to its 242 member corporations asking for donations to buy camphor, jacaranda, California live oak and other varieties of trees.

The association said it wanted to purchase the trees by next fall or spring.

Confusion between the association and government officials began when VICA said the corps had approved the fund drive.

The corps denied giving any approval.

On Thursday, the association said it had a list of about 1,000 trees designated by the corps specifically for the basin.

The corps, however, said the list had been drawn up for another community organization interested in donating trees, park benches, water fountains and other amenities to the park.

A VICA spokeswoman later confirmed that her group had not received the list directly from the corps.

At this time, the 60-acre site where the trees would be planted is not irrigated.

If the proposed arts center is built, a private group called the Cultural Foundation, which is trying to fund the complex, would install a watering system, Villalobos said.

The Arts Park L.A. project--which could include theaters, workshops and exhibit spaces--will be debated at an upcoming public hearing and must be approved by the corps and the city.

If the project is not built, the corps said it would irrigate the 60 acres itself, ask the city to do so or find other places in the basin for the trees.

That task could take a number of years, a corps official said.

“We are committed to raising $150,000 to plant 1,000 trees in the basin,” said Laurie Golden, a VICA spokeswoman. “And we are excited and gratified that the Army Corps of Engineers is going to help us make this happen.”