Statement from Council Member Bob Kellar

Since the City of Santa Clarita was founded in 1987, protecting the natural environment has been an ongoing and significant goal of the City Council. One of the many tools that the City Council has adopted, and one of the earliest preservation efforts in the City’s history, was the creation of the Oak Tree Ordinance and Oak Tree Preservation and Protection Guidelines. These documents provided the City Council with the authority to conserve and protect one of the most valuable natural resources in and around the City: the literally thousands of oak trees that make up the expansive oak savannahs and woodlands in the Santa Clarita Valley.

Since the current Ordinance was adopted in 1989, the City of Santa Clarita has taken great care to ensure that these majestic trees, which have become a symbol of our valley, not only be preserved, but propagate in numbers. The City Council is proud to continue in these efforts today, and will continue to do so to ensure the high quality of life that we enjoy today is sustained for generations to come.

The Ordinance itself is fifteen-years-old, yet its spirit remains the same. The time has come to give the Ordinance a checkup. In essence, the City will engage in a thorough and complete examination of the Ordinance to ensure that it is up-to-date, and functions in the best and most efficient way possible.

I look forward to receiving feedback from the public on this extremely important issue. I encourage you to explore this website. It will provide you with additional information on the City’s process to revise the Ordinance, as well as allow you to submit your thoughts on the issue.

Comment Period for the Oak Tree Survey concluded on August 1, 2004
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