Facts Should Rule Fate of Eucalyptuses

Facts--not emotion and not politics--must determine the Irvine City Council’s vote to keep or replace the old, mutilated, weakened, and dangerous eucalyptus trees on the Northwood abandoned railroad right of way.

The safest and best solution is to replace the trees--a wise unanimous decision reached by the council on July 14.

However, two weeks later, three council members bowed to emotionalism and shifted their decision-making responsibility to Northwood property owners.

The subsequent taxpayer-financed tree survey detailed the city’s position to keep the trees. A statement from the Community Work Group was refused, and property owners received only the city’s watered-down version of the work group’s tree replacement report.

Here are the facts, which the City Council must consider, as determined by the work group after studies, investigations, and employment with private funds of John Sevier of San Diego, eucalyptus tree service and tree safety consultant.

* These particular trees are hazardous and present a dangerous condition for people who walk and jog the right of way and for adjacent residents.

* Deaths and crippling injuries have resulted from eucalyptus branch failure at the San Diego Zoo, a Los Angeles City school, the Los Angeles County Arboretum, and, yes, even in Irvine and to an Irvine school child. Each tragedy resulted in legal action with large settlements or jury verdicts.

* These permanently mutilated trees (previously pollarded/topped) can and should be replaced under Irvine’s Eucalyptus Windrow Policy--a flexible document for tree removal as well as preservation.

The city indicates it may remove 50 eucalyptus trees--20 dead and dying and 30 identified by residents as dangerously close to back-yard walls--(within) two to five feet. The fact is all of these multi-ton trees could reach and destroy structures.

To reduce the risk of these remaining trees, the city must order a severe safety trim immediately, not wait until December, 1993, the next scheduled maintenance date, and allocate thousands of dollars for annual maintenance, not every three years or whenever the city gets around to it.

The safest, wisest and most prudent action is to replace these dangerous, high-maintenance eucalyptus trees with other trees that are safe, beautiful, less costly to maintain, and more suitable for parks, people and homes.

ANN CLELAND

Irvine