City, Activists Disagree Over Removal of Aging Torrey Pine From Ocean Beach

SAN DIEGO, CA — The city of San Diego was scheduled Friday morning to remove a 73-foot-tall tree in Ocean Beach, which has become the focal point in a test of wills between municipal government and community activists.

City officials contend the nearly century-old Torrey pine at 4652 Saratoga Ave. is in danger of falling, but opponents contend the city hasn't adequately explained why the tree has to be taken out.

Last week, an Ocean Beach woman climbed the tree and stayed there to prevent a removal attempt while a handful of people on the ground offered their support.

Ocean Beach activists have put out a call for opponents of the tree removal to gather at the site Friday morning, but accorrding to NBC7 San Diego, the city has temporarily suspended removal of the tree.

Jeremy Barrick, a board-certified master arborist and the city's urban forester program manager, inspected the tree with other experts and decided it needed to be removed.

"Public safety is of the utmost importance, and while our goal is to maximize the environmental benefits of trees, we must balance the risk of trees with the preservation of trees," Barrick said.

"We have monitored and reviewed this tree for several months and consensus among multiple arborists is that this tree must be removed to entirely eliminate the risk of catastrophic failure," Barrick said. "In order to extend the benefits of this tree, we will be working with a local artist to re-purpose the wood and work with the community in planting replacement trees."

City officials said a portion of the trunk will be given to an artist, while some branches will be left behind for use by neighbors, per their request. The city also plans to consult with residents to determine appropriate replacement trees for the area.

Two nearby Torrey pines were uprooted by storms over the most recent winter, according to city officials.

As part of its plan to address the impacts of climate change, the city is completing an assessment of its tree inventory and is set to embark on a tree planting program to increase the canopy in San Diego neighborhoods.

— City News Service

(Photo: Geographer via Wikimedia Commons)