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Here’s how the ‘Old Glory’ oak tree historic landmark came to be
Old Glory being celebrated as the oak tree leafs out at it's current location in Stevenson Ranch.
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Anne Cusack
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Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
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“Old Glory,” a roughly 400-year-old Valley Oak tree in Stevenson Ranch, became a Los Angeles County Historic Landmark this week.
But it wasn’t always a walk in the park to protect the towering tree. Here's how we got to the latest chapter in the oak’s life.
Fighting for “Old Glory”
More than 20 years ago, Lynne Plambeck became infuriated with a plan to remove “Old Glory” to widen the road for a proposed housing development.
Plambeck, president of the Santa Clarita Organization for Planning and the Environment (SCOPE), told LAist “Old Glory” was far from the little bush it was made out to be in the initial tree report — it’s more like a cathedral of greenery.
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Plambeck was angered by the report’s mischaracterization. So she and a friend decided they should find a tree sitter.
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Tree sitting is a type of environmental protest where someone positions themselves in a tree to try to protect it, a practice John Quigley was quite comfortable with.
John Quigley, who sat in the threatened oak tree "Old Glory'' in Stevenson Ranch on Saturday, January 25th, 2003.
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Allen J. Schaben
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Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
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John Quigley stretches his legs from atop the "Old Glory" oak tree.
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Anacleto Rapping
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Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
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Quigley checked out the oak, decided it was big enough to hold a platform, and ended up spending 71 days living in its branches.
“We didn't create the social movement, we protested them cutting the tree down, and it seems like the movement created itself,” she said.
Support from the ground
Plambeck and her friend worried about Quigley at first, so they’d take turns sleeping under his set-up. But armed with a walkie talkie and cell phone, he’d routinely call people in the community, the media, and the film industry to bring attention to the preservation fight.
When a large fence was put up around the tree, it became a convenient place for people to post encouraging artwork and signs.
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Andrew Doody, 3, and his sister Elisabeth Doody, 5, peer at the old oak tree.
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Anne Cusack
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Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
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Mati Waiya waves burning sage towards the "Old Glory" oak tree.
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George Wilhelm
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Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
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Teachers brought their classes to hear Quigley speak, the California Oak Foundation hosted an educational news conference in the area, and musicians played banjos or guitars beneath the branches.
People could even send mail to “Old Glory” by addressing it to Oak #419, which Plambeck noted the post office would actually deliver.
“It was definitely a civil disobedience action that turned out good in the end,” she said.
Rene Russo entered the locked area and looked around the base of the "Old Glory" oak.
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Anne Cusack
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Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
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The big move
Quigley and other activists successfully negotiated for “Old Glory” to be moved to another location, about a quarter-mile to Pico Canyon Park.
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Bill Rattazzi looks up at the "Old Glory" oak tree.
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Bryan Chan
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Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
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Senna Tree Company documented the meticulous journey, but Plambeck worried about how the oak would handle it. Because as a specialist used to tell her, if trees should move, they would’ve been given legs.
“But God didn't,” she said. “They're supposed to stay where they are. So we were really concerned that it was not going to survive.”
“Old Glory” did make it to the park, where it still stands today. In 2007, it was officially recognized as the largest transplanted tree by Guinness World Records.
The tall oak tree nicknamed "Old Glory" is moved from its hole along Pico Canyon Road.
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Bryan Chan
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Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
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The decades since
SCOPE has celebrated the oak’s 5th, 10th, and 20th anniversary of the saga. Quigley even reenacted his climb for last year’s event and reconnected with some of the now-30-year-olds who had visited his tree sit as children.
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Plambeck started pushing for “Old Glory” to be designated as a historic landmark two years ago, and after the idea disappeared “into the yaws of bureaucracy” for some time, she got her wish this week.
L.A. County has now affirmed its commitment to persevering heritage oak trees like “Old Glory” as irreplaceable natural and cultural resources for future generations, according to Supervisor Kathryn Barger’s motion.
Travis Jochimsen, 20, makes his way to the top of "Old Glory" to talk to John Quigley.
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Anne Cusack/
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Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
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There’s more to come
But SCOPE isn’t done yet. Plambeck said they’re also planning to explore a state designation, as she said this oak is a symbol of change for those who feel like they might not be able to make a difference.
“When you care about something and you can work with others to protect it, you can have a success,” she said. “Oaks and trees are really important. They're important to saving our planet. They're important to cooling our neighborhoods, and it's really important not to cut them down, and to take care of them and respect them.”
You can find more information about the importance and benefits of L.A. County’s oak trees here.
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Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
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