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Commission recommends heritage‑tree designation for 67‑inch valley oak at Little Chico Creek Elementary
Summary
The Park and Playground Commission recommended the city council designate a 67‑inch valley oak on Little Chico Creek Elementary School grounds as a voluntary heritage tree after staff described maintenance plans and students described the tree’s value as an outdoor classroom.
The Park and Playground Commission on April 28 recommended that the city council designate a 67‑inch valley oak (Quercus lobata) at Little Chico Creek Elementary School, 2090 Amanda Way, as a voluntary heritage tree.
Staff presented the application and said the tree would join a small roster of designated heritage trees across Chico and that designation is intended to recognize and encourage protection and stewardship. The staff presentation noted the tree has cavities and shows its age but said routine interventions — a wide mulch buffer, removal of turf and selected sprinklers, and modest canopy trimming by willing local contractors — would improve its health.
Kristen Schrock, principal of Little Chico Creek Elementary (introduced during the hearing), did not testify herself but was introduced to the commission as part of the school’s support for the application. Two students, Juliana and Connor, told the commission the tree is an outdoor classroom for TK–1 students and said it is valuable to younger grades: “This giant tree is home to a family of cool barn owls and is like an outdoor classroom for the younger kids,” one student said in support.
Commissioners asked whether the heritage designation obligates the school district to increase maintenance. Staff replied there is no automatic maintenance obligation created by the designation but said the city and Chico Unified School District have discussed adding a thick layer of mulch, capping some sprinklers under the canopy and, if available, arranging pro bono pruning work by local contractors.
A motion to forward the application to the city council with the commission’s recommendation passed unanimously. The commission’s action is a recommendation; final designation would require city council approval.
Next steps: the application will be included in a staff report to the city council for a final decision.
(Reporting note: the commission’s action was to recommend council approval; the commission did not itself adopt a binding heritage‑tree ordinance.)
