Los Angeles needs more tree plastic surgeons

Someday, whether you like it or not, LA Street Services or the LADWP will send uneducated, unskilled men, with no supervision, to steal from you. They will take thousands of dollars from the value of your home and your neighborhood, dirty your air, make the street hotter and your air conditioner work harder, uglify your view, and sometimes make you cry. Sometimes they kill; they always maim. Your tax dollars will be paying these men, and in Southern California they are often illegals. Of course, I’m talking about tree cutters!

Many of these unfortunate men are city employees, but I think the city subcontracts at least half of the work. Golden Bear is one of the worst businesses; they also sell firewood, so…integrity, much? I know DWP has been using Davey Tree Service for a while, another over-zealous and unqualified bunch. I called a few weeks ago to ask their national office what percentage of their tree cutters are licensed arborists, but they never called back. Many states require all tree cutters to be licensed, but not California, oh no, because like, we have SO MANY trees here in LA, why put any thought or money into keeping the ones we have healthy? (/sarcasm)

(Definitions of arborist licenses are in my ISA blogroll link, in case you do value the quality of your life and financial worth of your home, and seek out an actual certified arborist. Otherwise? You’re a gambler. I would guess that only 5 % of city tree trimmers, and even less of private companies, are certified.)

Is this a trim or a rape? Excuse the language. Photo by Jupiter Images

City tree trimming is done NOT for the health of the trees but because the city is such a scaredy cat about lawsuits from falling limbs, or people tripping over the sidewalk. So they cut back each tree to leave 3 or 4 or 5 branches on it that become twice as heavy. Stupid, much?  You don’t have to be an engineer to understand that every branch hacked off means more leaves grow on the remaining limbs, making them heavier and subject to imbalance, splitting and falling. And trimmed trees are left with open wounds, and you will see the sap pouring down for days; these holes punctured in the protective bark are invitations for destructive insects, and fungus, and weaken the tree’s immunity system to diseases. Death ensues.

Some species MAY require trimming every 5 or 10 years. But in Los Angeles, these scary destroyers come around every 2 years. In Silver Lake, it’s every 18 months! Even with no rain! (See what I mean by makework?) But what about mv, you ask? What about his Million Tree project? Doesn’t that mean the Mayor loves trees? Well, I’m not quite sure what or who the Mayor loves now, but the cutwork sure hasn’t stopped, even when it would save the city tons of money, and help with tons of smog.

No matter what department of the city is doing the work, remember: you have every right to demand that a certified arborist be present when the work is done on your street or on your property! I do! Cause you don’t want any Oogli trees on your turf, do you?