Multiple residents raised alarm at Jan. 12 public comment about tree removals associated with the CSO (combined sewer overflow) project. They said maps and markings have changed, that city staff appear to be using outdated data, and that large canopy losses would harm community mental health and disproportionately affect West Side neighborhoods.

Deborah Mulcahy described experience living near CSO construction and urged council to deny proposed noise waivers and to require clearer oversight of tree removal decisions. She said the city’s own 2022 tree-canopy data show high need for vegetation and questioned why 2015 data would be used for removal maps.

Sheila Contreras framed canopy loss as an environmental-justice and historical issue, noting West Side neighborhoods’ history of expropriation and connecting green-space access to maternal and community health. She urged a pause in removals, reassessment of maps, and the creation of a volunteer tree corps to count and verify trees.

Council did not take immediate action to halt tree removals at the Jan. 12 meeting; the testimony places pressure on staff and committees to provide accurate mapping, transparent criteria, and oversight for the CSO project’s tree work.