Yesterday, we lost the battle to save the trees at 3333 California Street. 200 trees will come down, and that is a loss for our city and our world. BUT I believe 3 good things came of it.

�First, there was more discussion of tree preservation and responsible housing development than I have EVER heard at San Francisco City Hall.

�Second, the sponsoring Supervisor amended the ordinance at the last minute to require the project sponsor to provide 6 years - not 3 - of tree care after the project is complete (it may not seem like much, but if you want to know why I think that's a really big deal, pm me and I'll tell you).

�And third, I learned that the construction company for this project is Webcor. I hauled Webcor before the Board of Appeals earlier this year for an illegal tree removal, and, as a result, they agreed to implement best practices for urban forestry. Today I emailed Webcor's Vice President and reminded him of these best practices as Webcor begins work at 3333 California. He wrote back immediately and said yes, he's on it. That's a win