County to Scale Back Tree-Trimming Project

At the urging of residents in the Santa Monica Mountains, the county has agreed to scale back a massive tree-trimming contract aimed at keeping roadways in the unincorporated areas clear.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved releasing a bid request for the work, which is done every five years. Dean Lehman, an engineer with the county Department of Public Works, estimated that the job will cost less than $100,000.

Residents from Old Topanga to the Ventura County line had expressed concern that the trimming, if carried out as the weather warmed this spring, would interfere with tree growth and bird nesting, said Victoria Wikle, a member of the Cold Creek Community Council.

Some landowners also sought less aggressive pruning that would preserve native trees, she said.

“They more or less have a lollipop paradigm for what a tree should look like,” Wikle said of the county tree-trimmers. “You know, there’s the trunk and then the tree is just pruned to make it a little round ball. Well, we don’t want that out here. This is a rural area.”

In the end, the county agreed to stop trimming by March 15, which means that work will have to be finished next winter. Fewer trees will be trimmed and residents can consult with county forestry officials about particular trees.

Only five roads will be affected: Old Topanga Canyon Road, Cold Canyon Road, Encinal Canyon Road, Lake Vista Drive and Mulholland Highway.