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Residents urge city to act after unpermitted tree removal at Vista Del Mar, raising monarch habitat concerns
Summary
During public comment a conservationist said an overwintering monarch site at Vista Del Mar was partially destroyed by unpermitted tree removal on Dec. 22; the speaker called for penalties, restoration and possible conservation easement. City staff said a stop‑work order is in place and council will consider an urgency tree ordinance.
Speakers during the Feb. 3 public comment period pressed the council for decisive action after a December unpermitted tree removal at Vista Del Mar that, they said, harmed an overwintering monarch butterfly site.
Chris Ament, citing recent western monarch counts and a national meeting, told the council the event had been presented as a case study and asked for public updates on enforcement, penalties against Ventura Coastal LLC and plans for habitat restoration or conservation easement status. Several other commenters echoed the call for enforcement and for the city to pursue penalties and restoration efforts.
City staff replied during the council manager follow‑up that code enforcement had issued a stop‑work order and that there was no further activity at the site; staff said the council would consider an urgency tree ordinance at an upcoming meeting. No formal enforcement outcome or penalties were announced at the Feb. 3 meeting.
The matter remains open: speakers asked the council to pursue restoration and to make enforcement and remediation steps public, and asked whether the city would seek stronger penalties for unpermitted removal in the coastal zone.
