Board of Appeals approves limited removal of 33 trees on 20 Fourth Street, conditions set for replacements and community watering

The San Francisco Board of Appeals voted 4–1 on July 15, 2020 to grant appeals of a Public Works order to remove trees along 20 Fourth Street, approving the removal of 33 trees but placing detailed conditions on the work, replanting and community oversight.

The decision followed lengthy presentations by neighborhood appellants, tree experts and Public Works Bureau of Urban Forestry (BUFF). Urban Forester Chris Buck told the board that removal is "always the last resort" and that Public Works now proposes removing 33 trees on 20 Fourth Street and replacing them with at least 50 trees on that corridor, with up to 95 additional trees to be planted in adjacent blocks if the community-led watering plan is implemented.

Why it matters: Appellants argued the mature ficus trees are cultural landmarks for the Calle 24/Latino Cultural District and provide important environmental benefits including carbon sequestration, shade and stormwater mitigation. Appellants funded an independent arborist and a volunteer watering program called Mission Verde to help establish replacement trees, arguing community watering can stretch limited planting budgets.

What the board required: The board’s conditional approval includes…