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City lays out urban-forest priorities as residents warn of slope and greenbelt fire risks
Summary
Chino Hills staff said the city maintains ~47,000 trees on a roughly $900,000 annual budget and prioritizes safety trims; residents told council that city‑maintained slopes and greenbelts contain dead branches and dry mulch that heighten wildfire risk and urged faster or more frequent maintenance.
City staff gave a detailed briefing on Chino Hills’ urban‑forest management on Jan. 14, describing the size, cost and priorities of the program while residents used the public‑comment period to press for more slope and greenbelt maintenance amid regional wildfire concerns.
"We have over, 47,000 trees here in the city of Chino Hills with an annual budget of about $900,000 for maintenance of those trees," said Tony Fusco, landscape inspector and certified arborist. He and management analyst Alexis Dalpott explained that the city currently uses a corrective maintenance approach—responding to issues as they are reported—and that only about 10% of the city’s trees can be trimmed using current funding.
Fusco gave concrete examples of cost variation: easily accessible street trees can be trimmed in about 30 minutes at roughly $75, while difficult removals (for example, a narrow pathway eucalyptus) can cost "up to $2,500 just to trim or remove 1 tree." He emphasized the city follows ISA standards and does not practice topping, a method he said is harmful to tree structure.
Staff highlighted alternative options for residents: the "resi‑pay" program (established August 2023) allows homeowners to pay the city to trim city‑owned trees adjacent to their property, subject to restrictions and contractor use. "They'll call Public Works and request a work order... and, if they decide to move forward, we'll go ahead and get it scheduled, but it does have to be trimmed by our contractor," staff said.
Funding context: staff reported using nearly $2 million in non‑city grant funds and $1 million in ARPA dollars to trim park trees, which funded trimming of about 14,000 park trees over three years and freed general funds to address neighborhood trees. Fusco said the city’s current inventory value is about $145 million.
Public comments focused on slope and greenbelt conditions. Resident Doug McCormick described winds that left his yard with "the debris equaled 4 pack green waste bins" and warned that overgrown slopes and dead eucalyptus in other jurisdictions had contributed to past fire spread. Enso Zhao (Berryhill Drive) said greenbelt crews left dead branches on site and that dry mulch and highly flammable specimens near homes should be addressed as a top priority.
Fire and brush‑clearance context: Fire Chief Williams said the district runs a brush‑clearance program with twice‑yearly abatement notices and inspection cycles and that abatement and enforcement tools (including liening property) are used when owners do not comply.
Next steps: staff and council discussed whether to reallocate funds, seek additional grant support, increase inspection frequency for hydrants and critical infrastructure, and continue resident education about private‑property trimming rules. Council members signaled interest in more frequent hydrant inspections and convening additional cross‑agency emergency‑preparedness meetings.
Representative quote: "With only budgets to trim about 10% of our trees, we have to prioritize our trees," Fusco said. "We do not trim trees for view. We also do not top trees."
