Lodi's Legion Park has become the center of a community debate regarding the fate of its tree residents and the wildlife they harbor. According to a recent proposal, nearly 30 trees, which provide shade and a haven for local fauna like owls, may face the chopping block due to their age and the risk they pose to the surrounding area. As reported by ABC10, trees have been causing "limb failure events," some even resulting in power outages, as explained by Tree Lodi President Steve Dutra.
Though concerns are mounting, Tree Lodi, which isn't in charge of the actual removal, has promised replanting efforts. Explaining the proposal, Steve Dutra said, "The trees do get removed, we are already talking about a replanting plan." He indicated that the group plans to plant more trees than they remove in the hope of a successful project, according to a statement obtained by ABC10. The proposal is on its way to being discussed by the Lodi City Council.
On the other side, local inhabitants worry about the wildlife, especially the owls that use the trees as their homes. Jackie Newman, a long-standing neighbor of Legion Park, shared her worries with CBS Sacramento, recounting her experiences of baby owls taking shelter in her backyard. "It's just really hard to think of all these old trees that are habitats, because they're habitat for the owls, the squirrels, the birds, and so on, it's hard to think where they're going to go," Newman told CBS Sacramento.
Addressing these concerns, Dutra noted that while the birds would temporarily be impacted, mitigation efforts will include surveys and inspections of the trees to preserve as much of the wildlife as possible. "It's only my opinion that they'll be impacted for a period of time," Dutra said. "Like us, they're very adaptable and we're not removing all the trees. We hope, and arborists are required, to mitigate, if appropriate," as told to CBS Sacramento. The tree removals haven't been approved by the city yet, but a decision is expected to emerge from the upcoming October 15 council meeting.
