SAVE THESE
LB OGs
The city is planning to chop down a bunch of beautiful trees along Artesia Blvd in North Long Beach and replace them with a bunch of non-native palm trees.
THEY ARE SCHEDULED TO BEGIN CUTTING ANY DAY NOW
This is offensive and hypocritical.
It is offensive because we are in the midst of a climate crisis. The trees they are removing are tall, mature, beauties that have for decades been providing needed shade and habitat. They are many stories tall and are icons to be seen from a mile away. They will be replaced with non-native palms that drop a ton of stupid cockroach and fly attracting orange berries.
You know the ones I'm talking about.
It is hypocritical because the city is actively spending millions of dollars promoting and subsidizing us citizens to tear up our lawns and replace them with native species, and here the city is tearing up established trees and replacing them with solely non-native species.
Do as I say, not as I do.
A drive down Artesia Blvd as it is today.
These are only a handful of what will be lost.
The trees are still standing, but you can see the yellow notices on them.
They are a much needed presence in the neighborhood.
The Billboard of our DOOOOOOOOOOM
If you're feeling lost and hopeless about the state of our climate crisis, and don't know what you can ever do that will make a meaningful impact, here is a chance to act to save a lot of local trees right here in Long Beach from being razed. This can make a direct, local impact in your own community, and you don't have to do a whole lot to do your part.
If anything is to happen, then a collective outcry must be made.
The city plans to tear these down and replace them with palms and other non-native trees.
"But we're replacing the 150 trees with 400 NEW ONES!!!", they say.
This is like someone telling you, "Don't worry about the 150 hundred dollar bills I just took, I'm giving back 400 units of currency!"
"But it's 400 pennies..." you reply.
"QUIET YOU! 400 IS MORE THAN 150!!1!"
Here are the plants I identified in the
landscaping plan that is linked above:
Trees:
Natchez Crape Myrtle - native to Asia and Australia
Arapaho Crape Myrtle - native to Asia and Australia
Date Palm - native to the Middle East
You don't win friends with date palms!
Plants:
Blue Glow Agave - native to SoCal
Red Yucca - native to Texas and Mexico... close but not quite there
Breeze Mat Rush - native to Australia
Spreading Rush - native to SoCal
*Info found by a quick Google search
I propose instead that the city save these trees, and incorporate them into a California Native biome that is more reflective of our beloved natural state. A well planned, native landscape would be a beautiful and nature friendly addition to our city, and would be a welcome change from the typical bland palm trees and spiky plants you see going in everywhere else. This could be a tourist attracting boon for the local businesses, and it would have our elected officials LEADING BY EXAMPLE.
Does anyone actually like these things?
This is a video of Del Amo blvd close by - this is what Artesia could look like with no palms needed
I Was Happy Here
An ode to the trees
that we care about
I was happy here
In this place I knew
I was happy here
This is where I grew
For 50 years we lived here
My friends, my family, me
For 50 years we prospered here
Standing tall, proud, and free
But then
One day
Progress came for we
They said fancy new things
Were to have their day
They said we had to go
Tired, old, "in the way"
Chainsaws and axes were
The tools of our demise
“Progress!” they proclaimed
I call it murder in disguise
When we are torn
From ancestral roots
What hope is there
For our own young shoots?
I was happy here
For many a long day
I was happy here
‘Til Progress came my way
I Was Happy Here.
I Was.
I Was.
I Was.
Do you take solace that
Today was for me, not you?
Tomorrow they could decide
It’s yours that needs something new.
Take a Stand
With the Stand
Phase 1
Of trees... you know....
Protect the trees we already have!
CLICK HERE to begin your protest
Phase 2
Join the Stand to spur the City of Long Beach to update its Tree Policy to better protect and expand our urban forest. We are promoting the following Six Principles:
1. Finalizing a Tree Replacement Policy (currently past due from Public Works to Council)
2. Instituting a Tree Protection Policy (Pasadena is a model for this)
3. Developing tree canopy cover goals with action items and targets (LB is 13% vs LA is 20%)
4. Implementing a Tree Diversity Policy of at most 5% one species, 10% one genus and 20% one family within the urban canopy. Once target met or exceeded, no more are planted
5. Funding the watering of newly planted trees for the first two years to ensure they become established and healthy
6. Develop a group of community members who can keep an eye on council items impacting trees and contest them when unnecessary
Phase 3
Share this on your choice of social poison
Phase 4
Phase 5
???
PROFIT!!!
Hoy! I 'eard there's some trees need fightin' for!
I would like to set up a forum for people to organize here, but I don't know how to set that up. Please email thedirtboys@gmail.com if you have the know how, or if you are interested in organizing!
How We Started
I saw a bunch of "Tree Removal Notices" stapled onto trees I care about and got pissed off.
I researched their plan and found that the trees I love would be replaced with stupid date palms.
I got more pissed off.
That's about it.