Army Corps provides more info on how fire-impacted residents can help preserve their surviving trees

Residents affected by the Eaton and Palisades fires now have a way to try to preserve trees that still stand on their properties. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and L.A. County released a waiver form on Monday that allows residents to request that certain trees deemed hazardous not be cut down. The Army Corps updated the process on Thursday to include that residents can now also email the waiver, rather than having to provide it in person.

The waiver comes after Altadena residents raised alarm over trees, some of which could recover with time and care, being cut down in the burn zone.

How the waiver works

The waiver applies only to trees on private property, where the Corps of Engineers is in charge of removing fire debris. (Trees in the public right-of-way are overseen by L.A. County or L.A. city departments, depending on where you live.)

Residents who have opted in to the federal debris removal program are eligible for the new waiver.

Here’s how it’ll work: You should get a call a few days before the Corps of Engineers plans to clear debris from your property. They’ll ask you to do a comprehensive walk-through with them (though it’s not required). During that walk-through, homeowners will be able to sign a form to consent that hazardous trees be removed, according to county Supervisor Kathryn Barger’s office.

But, if you want to keep a tree that’s been deemed hazardous, you can sign the waiver. You’ll need to provide a sketch and list of the trees you don’t want removed, then hand the waiver to the Corps contractor in person when you do the walk-through. On Thursday, the Army Corps announced residents can also now email the completed form to:

• Eatoncallcenter@ecc.net for Altadena properties
• Palisadescallcenter@ecc.net for Palisades properties

"We are committed to listening to the community and improving our processes," U.S. Army Colonel Eric Swenson, commander of the Corps' wildfire recovery efforts in L.A. County, said in a statement in a press release.

Officials emphasized that residents should assess their trees as soon as possible.

Some trees can't be saved, though. Trees within the ash footprint of the home — determined when contractors assess the site and defined as the immediate area around a burnt home where ash settled — will be removed. That's so crews can thoroughly and safely remove debris and ash.

Graphic depicting a tree flagged for removal by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

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Courtesy U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

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Additional clarity on tree markings

On Thursday, the Army Corps also provided additional clarity on what different tree markings mean:

• Blue dot: Trees marked with a blue dot at the base and a barcode have been determined to be hazardous and are scheduled for removal.
• Yellow dot with yellow Ribbon: Trees where a property owner has submitted a hazardous tree removal waiver will be marked with a yellow dot at the base and a yellow ribbon wrapped around the tree.
• Brown dot: If a tree is reassessed and determined to be non-hazardous by a higher-level ISA-certified arborist, it will be marked with a brown dot over the existing blue dot.

The Army Corps' hazardous tree marking system.

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Courtesy U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

)

What makes a tree hazardous?

The county defines a hazardous tree as “any tree that poses an immediate threat to lives or public health and safety, including risks to debris removal crews.” The Corps of Engineers has a list of specifications for defining a hazard tree, including the following:

• The tree has a diameter of 6 inches or greater (measured 4.5 feet above ground).
• The tree is a distance less than 1.5 times the tree height from a structure or presents a hazard to work crews.
• The tree is dead or expected to die within five years as determined by an ISA-certified arborist with Tree Risk Assessment Qualification.

Find more information from the Corps on hazard trees here. You can find additional fire recovery information at recovery.lacounty.gov.

Things to consider

If you can, get a second opinion from a local arborist about how the trees on your property marked for removal are faring post-fire. Some species, such as coast live oak, have a remarkable ability to survive and even thrive after fire.

Also, property owners who sign the waiver will be on the hook financially for dealing with the tree later if it does die or become a hazard.

Community reacts

Defining which trees are hazardous has been a point of contention.

Some residents, such as those who started Altadena Green, a grassroots group working to save Altadena’s surviving trees, have been calling for an independent review of trees marked for removal, as well as calling for independent, local arborists to lead the hazard tree identification efforts.

Rebecca Latta, an arborist and co-founder of Altadena Green, said that although the waiver is a help, she worries the Corps’ contract arborists don’t have sufficient qualifications or local tree knowledge and are under too much pressure to move quickly.

“It’s a step in the right direction. We just think it’s a big onus on the homeowners,” Latta said.