1315.Santa Barbara DisasterJust recently Peter, owner of Peterson's tree care said the jacaranda in my front yard is probably the most Grande Jacaranda in all the Valley.
It certainly is one of the biggest with an 82 inch girth.
I do love the tree despite 37 years of maintenance and those falling beautiful blue springtime flowers.
I did not mind the $1500. tree maintenance as the SB County would NOT ever come and trim the tree.
But last Tuesday the roads division came to redo the slanted sidewalk.
Then on Wednesday with no notice to the Owner (me), they came and martyred the tree.
It would have taken $5. in blacktop to fix it.
Instead they have put 10 man days into the walk/tree.
The county maintenance guy said with regard to Monumental trees in SB county: If a tree cracks a sidewalk, we will cut down and there is no recourse and no option.
We were not consulted and did not have any opportunity to participate in a solution regarding this tree.
SB County left a Martyr memorial of the bottom 4 ft as a stump for me to remove.
I love Monument trees (this CO2 scrubber is gone) and so in tribute to my 37 year loss.
If you know any Tree friendly people in Santa Barbara County, please forward this so they may be warned.
re .the massive stump will remain as a memorial to green Conservation !
Only one government person is dictating the removal of these massive wonderful Carbon Dioxide cleaning trees in the County of Santa Barbara. This person also received notoriety in Isla Vista where students once literally climbed into the tree to prevent its demise and were successful !! http://www.dailynexus.com/article.php?a=4537. If you climb into the tree in the county it will NOT be chopped down. That is the only current recourse.
There are now plans to have a MEMORIAL Bronze plaque at the site to honor the massive/huge "base stump" and the new sidewalk. The bronze plaque on the stump will have the name of the Supervisor and County Arborist who likes the sidewalk soo much. We hope the stump and plaque remains as a reminder of possible future changes as the County takes direction from places like the City of Santa Barbara and Greener Conservation. It comes down to the Supervisors not the overburdened county employee who must take the "easy way out". This County employee specifically said to go to Supervisor << Janet Wolf - jwolf@sbcbos2.org >> and plead for his job and for the saving the big majestic grande trees in the urban areas.
