Local advisory committee urges changes to proposed State “Zone 0” rules to protect tree canopy and biodiversity

Members of the Community Forest Advisory Committee and the Los Angeles Fire Department presented a joint report to the Public Safety Committee on Sept. 17 urging the Board of Forestry to revise draft “Zone 0” regulations that would impose a five‑foot noncombustible perimeter around structures in very high fire hazard zones.

Cindy Chippock, a CD 13 resident and member of the Community Forest Advisory Committee, said the draft regulations — developed from research and examples drawn largely from Northern California — would require removal or severe pruning of vegetation and could lead to loss of at least 1,800 acres of trees within the city, according to LA County GIS estimates. “The consequences of this are significant,” Chippock said, citing heat‑island, biodiversity loss, slope stability and costs to residents and the city.

The advisory committee’s report recommends exempting healthy, well‑maintained vegetation, locally protected native trees and street trees from the five‑foot removal rule; creating local flexibility for fire inspectors; funding dead‑tree removal in high‑risk areas; banning artificial turf from defensible space; and providing an appeals process and public education campaigns. The presenters said the Board of Forestry’s draft rule treats landscape uniformly and relies in part on insurance‑industry models that may not fit dense Los Angeles neighborhoods.

Public comment and council questions: During public comment, Gwendolyn Henry, a seatback committee member from Council District 15, told the committee that CD 15 has low canopy cover and urged the committee to consult the City’s Department of Biodiversity and take a cautious approach. Councilmembers and staff noted differences across neighborhoods: some areas need canopy preservation for shade and heat mitigation, while other areas require vegetation management. Assistant Fire Marshal Christine Larson and other fire officials told the committee the city already enforces robust brush clearance standards and that adding the Zone 0 overlay would dramatically increase the number of parcels requiring oversight.

Action: The committee voted to note and file the advisory committee report, directed the Fire Department to report on steps needed to implement some or all recommendations, and asked the Community Forest Advisory Committee and Fire Department to submit the report to the State Board of Forestry. The clerk recorded five yes votes and the item was approved.

Why it matters: Presenters warned that a one‑size‑fits‑all five‑foot noncombustible zone could disproportionately affect neighborhoods on small lots (including Silver Lake, Echo Park and Hollywood) and could undercut local climate, health and equity goals by removing shade, increasing heat and harming biodiversity. The advisory group asked the City to submit formal comments to the Board of Forestry’s public hearing schedule.

Timeline noted in presentation: The committee said the Board of Forestry’s Zone 0 advisory committee expected to finalize rules at a Sept. 22 meeting and to present them to the board on Sept. 24; once approved the rules could be sent to the governor with an implementation date cited by presenters of Jan. 1 (year specified by the Board of Forestry process). The advisory group urged councilmembers to submit letters and attend the Board of Forestry meetings to request local exemptions and flexibility.