HomeMy WebLinkAbout4/4/2023 Item 6b, Hermann and Hill - Staff Agenda CorrespondenceCity of San Luis Obispo, Council Memorandum
City of San Luis Obispo
Council Agenda Correspondence
DATE: April 4, 2023
TO: Mayor and Council
FROM: Greg Hermann, Deputy City Manager
Robert Hill, Sustainability & Natural Resources Manager
VIA: Derek Johnson, City Manager
SUBJECT: ITEM 6b - ADOPTION OF THE COMMUNITY FOREST PLAN
Staff received a request from a Council Member to provide a response to a portion of the
agenda correspondence provided by Mr. Allan Cooper on behalf of Save Our Downtown.
The question is below with staff’s response shown in italics:
1. Save Our Downtown disagrees with the following: “One example of a species that is
not particularly well-suited for San Luis Obispo is the coast redwood (Sequoia
sempervirens). The city’s climate is very dissimilar to the fog -shrouded, damp coastal
environment where redwood grows naturally. While some local redwoods are
reasonably healthy, many others are in poor condition, unable to thrive in our present
climate and presumably even less so in the future considering the predicted effects of
climate change.”
San Luis Obispo is located 12 mile s from the ocean where coastal redwoods can
thrive. Coastal redwoods do well in SLO if they are regularly irrigated. Four of the
seventeen Heritage Trees are mature, healthy redwoods. Why is this the case if this
particular type of tree is not “well suited ” to San Luis Obispo?
Office of Sustainability & Natural Resources staff conferred with Public Works Urban
Forest Services staff in providing this response. The reason why the Community
Forest Plan document states that coast redwoods are “not particularly well-suited for
San Luis Obispo” is that, as stated, these trees require a lot of water to thrive in our
area and water conservation is one of the sustainability principles set forth in the plan
document. It is accurate that some older redwoods that were established a long time
ago continue to thrive, while there are also numerous examples of redwoods that
exhibit signs of noticeable drought stress. As prolonged periods of drought and
extreme heats days are anticipated with climate change, continuing to p lant new
redwoods for City street trees or park trees is not advisable. Existing heritage trees
will continue to be honored and protected, and private property owners will continue
to have the prerogative to plant redwoods on their own property if they so choose.