Get in touch with us at palisadesforestry@gmail.com
Resources
Fire Resources: Trees & Plants
Reference created by the Britton Fund, who support arborists with research and education. Written in part by our local Registered Consulting Arborists Carl Mellinger and Lisa Smith.
Tree Waiver Option Now Available for Property Owners Enrolled in Federally Funded Debris Removal. Sign up now!
StreetsLA Urban Forestry Division rebuild process on trees and what to do.
The Right of Entry (ROE) and Debris Removal Process from the Army Corps of Engineers.
Altadena Green is an organization helping property owners of the Altadena area with resources on how to save their trees.
Fire Resistant Plants, by Sustainable Defensible Space.
SoCal Fires: Past, Present and Future-Adaptations, Brentwood HOA presentation by Jon Keeley, 2-19-25.
“A California-Friendly Guide to Native and Drought Tolerant Gardens”, by Farah Snider. See page 54 for a list of fire-resistant plants.
“Brush Clearance Requirements”, by LAFD – Los Angeles City Fire Department.
Recommended Books
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Firescaping Your Home: A Manual for Readiness in Wildfire Country, by Adrienne Edwards and Rachel Schleiger.
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Firescaping: Protecting Your Home with a Fire-Resistant Landscape, by Douglas Kent.
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Fire, Chaparral, and Survival in Southern California, by Richard W. Halsey.
Tree Resources
SelecTree: A tree selection guide from California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo that describes trees in detail and with photos. Trees can be searched by their various characteristics, by site conditions, or by flowers & fruit. It also offers various tree lists for specific areas or purposes. The website comes from the university’s Urban Forest Ecosystems Institute.
Tree Spacing Guidelines, from Urban Forestry Division of StreetsLA:
StreetsLA, Bureau of Street Services, City of LA:
Home page >
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Right of Way Landscaping Standards (find info on parkway planting and irrigation standards)
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Request Tree Permits
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Request Right-of-Way Permits
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Report Tree Emergency
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Report A Protected Tree Violation
Home page > Divisions > Urban Forestry > Right side list >
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Resources: Applications for tree removal and for root pruning; Free mulch.
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FAQs
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Native Protected Trees & Shrubs
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Other links
Urban Forest Manual 2024 Update, by Recreation and Parks Department, City of Los Angeles. The most up to date manual of best practices, including a long list of trees in “Appendix J. Recreation and Parks Department Tree Planting, Selection, and Maintenance Guidelines” at pp. 91-141. The Manual appears in the link after a 5 page Report to the RAP Board of Commissioners, which approved the Manual on February 6, 2025.
https://www.laparks.org/sites/default/files/pdf/commissioner/2025/feb06/25-005.pdf
Neighborhood Council Sustainability Alliance – NCSA:
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NCSA Tree Committee: www.ncsa.la/trees
With links to:
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Tree Removal Notices
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Protected Tree Ordinance
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Planting a Tree in Your Parkway? Here’s What You Need to Know
Public parkway tree was removed. Did the owner and contractor have a permit from the city’s Urban Forestry Div., StreetsLA?
Resilient Palisades: Water Sages Team - Useful information on water usage and native/drought-tolerant landscapes: https://www.resilientpalisades.org/water-harvesting
TreePeople:
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How to keep trees alive: https://treepeople.org/resource/how-to-keep-trees-alive/
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What to do when a tree is at risk of being cut down:
https://treepeople.org/2024/10/08/what-to-do-if-you-think-a-tree-is-going-to-be-cut-down/
“Why Aren’t We Saving the Urban Forests?” OpEd in NYT on 4-22-24, by Margaret Renkl.
“Thelma Hansen Research Symposium – Trees to the Rescue: Solutions for Climate Change”, May 15, 2024.