A Pasadena community is fighting to save a beloved oak tree in McDonald Park from being cut down.
KNX News’ Karen Adams reported that notes were tied to the tree, with some reading “Save me,” “We love this tree,” and “Let me continue to live.”
Jessica Richards is leading the fight to save the old oak.
“This tree specifically has a large, expansive canopy that provides fantastic shade,” she told Adams. “It is the meeting place for many community events.”
But Lisa Derderian, a spokeswoman for the city, told Adams that arborists with the city have deemed the tree unsafe.
“The city has several certified arborists with over 50 years of experience combined,” she said. “They deem that the tree has some significant root damage, disease, [and] that it is compromised.”
Derderian added that because there’s a fight to save the tree, the city is bringing in a third-party arborist this week to check it out.
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“We will get the third-party assessment and then if it does need to be removed, we work with the community on what we will replace a tree with,” she said. “We want to be as transparent as possible.”
Richards said that while the infestation is concerning, treatment is available.
“They can inject the tree and provide treatment to eradicate the infestation,” she said. “It is worth doing. It is in line with the city's own preservation policy for historic native trees.”
It’s unclear exactly how old the tree is. The city said the tree is around 60 years old, while the community said it’s nearly 200 years old.
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