The City of Santa Clarita is in the process of changing our beloved oak ordinance to make it easier to destroy oaks in residential neighborhoods. Very few people know about what the city is doing, perhaps by design...(The Proposed Oak Ordinance Amendment can be viewed at https://tinyurl.com/ordinance-amendment/.)

Rather than conducting a thorough public outreach program to hear ideas and concerns from the public BEFORE proposing such changes, the initial hearing was only noticed in the legal section of the Signal which is not published on line. This means that many people did not see it.

Why did the City not illicit thorough public input on such an important change before introducing this updated ordinance? Was it because the City doesn't really want to hear from the public? The first reading of the ordinance on March 10th, 2026 is too late for meaningful discussion. All concerned residents can do at this point is OPPOSE this radical change. 

Please join SCOPE (Santa Clarita Organization for Planning and the Environment) in

• Signing and sharing this petition 
• Emailing the Mayor and City Council to OPPOSE the weakening of Oaks Ordinance at 

  lweste@santaclarita.gov

  jgibbs@santaclarita.gov

  mmclean@santaclarita.gov

  bmiranda@santaclarita.gov

  payala@santaclarita.gov

  kstriplin@santaclarita.gov

  vferchaw@santaclarita.gov

For additional information, please see below. 

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Many residents of Santa Clarita worked hard for Cityhood in 1987 because, in years prior, the County had allowed so many oaks to be destroyed for rampant growth. When we achieved Cityhood, a strong oak ordinance requiring replacement and mitigation was the first City ordinance approved, both for existing residences and proposed new development. It has ensured that our Valley and oak woodland neighborhoods retain the oaks and thus, their biodiversity and their natural beauty.

The City of Santa Clarita Ordinance states: 

The city lies in the Santa Clarita Valley, the beauty and natural setting of which is greatly enhanced by the presence of large numbers of majestic oak trees. These indigenous oak trees are recognized for their significant historical, aesthetic and environmental value. They are indicator species for the natural communities in which they exist, supporting a broad spectrum of other native plant and animal species. As one of the most picturesque trees in the Southern California area, they lend beauty and charm to the landscape, enhance the value of property, and preserve the character of the communities in which they exist. Development within the Santa Clarita Valley has resulted in the removal of a great number of oak trees. Further uncontrolled and indiscriminate destruction of this diminishing plant heritage would detrimentally affect the general health, safety and welfare of the citizens of Santa Clarita. The preservation program outlined in this section contributes to the welfare and aesthetics of the community and retains the great historical and environmental value of these trees. It shall be the policy of the City to require the preservation of all healthy oak trees unless compelling reasons justify the removal of such trees. This policy shall apply to the removal, pruning, cutting and/or encroachment into the protected zone of oak trees.”

Santa Clarita residents took pride in this ordinance and being a Tree City. But this no longer seems to be the case as the city proposes a severe weakening of the ordinance and easy oak removals without a permit or hearings, regardless of the age or status of the oak. Instead of an ordinance protecting against unreasonable removal demands by insurance companies, overtrimming by utility companies and residents that would want oaks removed because they don’t like their leaves and acorns, the City proposes easy removal with no permit. The requisite for removals could allow up to 2/3’s of oaks to be easily removed in oak studded neighborhoods.

Oaks are a “baseline” (1) species in California. This means that they provide the sustenance, nesting places and habitat on which our entire chaparral eco-system depends. From blue Jays and wood peckers to the mice and wood rats that predators depend on for food, none would exist without them.

Oaks help reduce climate change with their massive ability to sequester carbon (2). They cool our neighborhoods by around 10 degrees (3) with their shade, and unlike other trees such as palms or cypress, serve as “ember catchers” that protect our homes from flying sparks in wind-driven wildfires (4).

That is why we urge you to sign this petition and write to express your opposition to Proposed Amendment 17.22.100. to Santa Clarita Municipal Code Sect. 17.51.040 the "Oak Tree Ordinance".    

In our opinion, the Proposed Amendment constitutes a total abandonment by the City of its long-standing commitment to protect native oak trees on private property and its obligations to protect such trees under the "Oak Tree Ordinance." Further, the Proposed Amendment is contrary to the protections provided native oak trees under our City General Plan, County of Los Angeles and State of California oak tree ordinances. We are not aware of any other city in California which has abandoned its obligation to protect native oak trees under city, county or state oak tree ordinances.

The city claims that the Proposed Amendment is exempt from additional environmental review under CEQA guidelines because "the ordinance has no potential to result in a significant effect on the environment."  As is obvious from the above listed benefits of oaks, this is just plain wrong.   

Apparently, some homeowners in the City have complained of damage to their homes from falling branches from native oak trees, and some have complained that their homeowner insurance carrier is threatening to cancel their policies due to native oak trees on their properties, but the City did not indicate how many such complaints have been received or the time range of these complaints. At any rate, such complaints can easily be handled under the mechanisms provided in the City's current Oak Tree Ordinance.  The City does not need the Proposed Amendment to address these issues, or any others involving native oak trees.

Citations

1. Douglas Tallamy, The Nature of Oaks: The Rich Ecology of Our Most Essential Native Trees, 2021
2. Tom Gavin, Registered Professional Forester, An Inventory of Carbon and California Oaks, 2008
3. Landscaping for Shade, US Dept. of Energy, https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/landscaping-shade
   “Do more than clear brush. Garden for fire”, Los Angeles Times. Feb 2025
4. Novel approach to fire safety sprouts locally ,Oak trees can help stop the spread of wildfire, officials say August 01, 2025, https://www.toacorn.com/articles/novel-approach-to-fire-safety-sprouts-locally/

For all of the reasons above, we urge you to OPPOSE the Proposed Amendment and thus request that it be rejected in its entirety by the City Council.

YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE BY WRITING A LETTER TO THE SANTA CLARITA MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL AND EMAIL IT TO:

Mayor Laurene Weste: lweste@santaclarita.gov

Council Member Jason Gibbs: jgibbs@santaclarita.gov

Council Member Marsha McLean: mmclean@santaclarita.gov

Council Member Bill Miranda: bmiranda@santaclarita.gov

Council Member Patti Ayala: payala@santaclarita.gov

City General Manager, Ken Striplin: kstriplin@santaclarita.gov

Valerie Ferchaw, Urban Forestry: vferchaw@santaclarita.gov