By Khalida Sarwari
No one can deny that trees are among the growing list of drought casualties. Another year of drought, according to the Saratoga Fire District, means many trees have been killed by lack of water or disease, creating fuel for fire.
This month, Saratoga moved forward with plans to change its tree regulations in order to improve both the appearance and safety of the city.
The changes proposed by the city include an expedited process involving the removal of dead trees and clearer regulations on pruning.
Before removing a dead tree, residents will no longer have to submit a written notice to their neighbors who live within 150 feet of their property and abide by a 15-day appeal period. Now, all they need to do is submit a tree removal permit application and photos of the dead tree to the community development department, and a permit will be issued to them within a day or two. The tree removal permit fee will be waived, whereas previously the city would provide a refund after processing the application.
The pruning guidelines dealing with the requirement to remove no more than 25 percent of the canopy by an uncertain date were amended from “any given growth period or year” to a two-year period. Furthermore, property owners with trees that straddle property lines must now both agree to the pruning.
Spurred by a June 30 note from residents John and Judy Vance, the city briefly entertained the idea of temporarily suspending its requirement to plant replacement trees during the drought.
“We are due to plant a 15-gallon tree by July 16, and we don’t feel it’s in the best interest of conserving water to be required to do that,” the Vances stated in their letter to city leaders.
The council ended up nixing the idea per Mayor Howard Miller’s suggestion that the change wouldn’t be necessary as property owners are already given six months to replace dead trees, long enough to at least get the city through the hot summer months.
Last year, the city processed 92 permits for dead trees.
The city has indicated that not only are these trees an eyesore, but they may contribute to the spread of wildfires as they tend to drop branches, completely fail or catch fire more easily than their live counterparts. It doesn’t help that portions of Saratoga are in the Wildland Urban Interface for what’s considered a “very high fire hazard zone.”
To help protect residents, the Saratoga Fire District and the city are launching a dead tree removal program and offering a cash rebate of 50 percent of the cost of the removal, or up to $500.
Visit saratogafire.org for more information about the program.
