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Residents, arborist plead with PUSD to halt planned school-tree removals
Summary
Residents and an arborist warned the board against cutting long-standing campus trees at Octavia Butler and Blair, describing emotional harm to students, ecological loss, disputed inventory data and possible high replacement costs.
Dozens of public speakers urged the board to stop planned tree removals at Octavia Butler and Blair schools, arguing the trees provide shade, carbon benefits and community memory. "Si ustedes están aquí para matar nuestros árboles, que nos ayudan con el carbono, y nos dan sombra, nos dan belleza," a resident said, appealing to trustees to consider alternatives such as nutrition and preservation rather than removal.
Arborist Sabine Hartnerd described daily monitoring of the trees and direct action to protect them: "Yo no sé qué hacer, más ya han sido 8 semanas que he estado aquí, me levanto temprano, me voy a ver a los árboles..." She and other residents also questioned the accuracy of the district's tree inventory and warned of liability and replacement costs should the district remove century-old trees.
