SAVE THE DOWNTOWN SANTA CRUZ SEQUOIAS
Walnut Street Redwood Removal Contestation Details
In the event that you want to join us--- we want you to be informed!
In May, 2023 the city posted a heritage tree removal sign on the twin trunks of the Redwood at the corner of Lincoln and Walnut Street
Since then, we have decided to encourage the city to find other ways to save the tree.
This redwood tree is budding up to the apartment building, possibly causing damage, and we believe that there are other solutions to fixing this issue then removing this tree. We live in an age of human innovation, and want to encourage the city, and apartment owners, to set a precedent that now is the time to find creative solutions, while saving our communities trees. Coast redwoods are sacred to this community, help us set the precedent that trees can come first!
We know that the City of Santa Cruz values it's environment-- let's ask them to prove it.
Tell the City that we know there are other solutions!
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TIME LINE
It came to our attention that a Redwood tree that we see every day on our commute to work, and walks within our community, was posted with a city sign for removal as it's roots were damaging the sidewalk, and potentially damaging the apartment building next door
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We brought our concerns to the Parks and Recreation department in a council meeting in August, encouraging them to search for other solutions to preserve the building and save the tree, which ended with a 2-3 vote NOT in our favor
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After a lot of deliberation, we decided to contest again, this time bringing it to City Council (meeting on 9/26, join us!)
Our argument
Our Argument is simple: for once, put the tree first
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There are always solutions, even when they don't seem obvious, or easy. Saving this Redwood tree will giveaway to the preserving of many more downtown Redwoods.
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This tree is important to its community! It provides habitat for numerous mammals, bugs, and birds, shade for the building under it, and people are literally (studies have been done!), happier with trees around
This tree is older than this apartment building, it deserves to be given a chance
Human innovation is at it's peak, we want to encourage the city to help the apartment owners to find a way to do both: fix the apartment AND save the tree
Sequoia Sempervirens are a coastal treasure, that we are slowly depleting. The CZU and other fires have only hastened this depletion, and continuing to remove them downtown is contrary to Santa Cruz values
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The Cities Argument
The tree's roots are potentially causing cracking in the foundation of the apartment building, therefor the tree should be removed
UPDATE!
We convinced the City Council to reconsider!
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We are shocked and excited to announce that the council (kind of) voted in our favor.
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The result of our Tree Appeal ended in the council voting 6-2 to grant 90 days in which to collect more data.
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This means we have 90 days to help prove that there are other solutions then removing the tree.