Frustrated Residents turn Efforts to Save 11 Acres of Woodland in Arcadia to Internet

in addition to all the warning signs on the entrance to the site of 11 acres of woodland in jeopardy, the county has hired security guards to prevent trespassing - Photos by Terry Miller

By Terry Miller

Cam Stone, a resident of Elkins in Arcadia, which is near ground zero,  said he was truly frustrated with Arcadia City council on Tuesday evening when they seemingly won’t make any decision on what appears to be overwhelming local suppot to save 11 acres of pristine woodland which is home to 179 mature oak trees and 70 mature sycamore trees. These 11 acres are the last remaing flat woodlands  in San Gabriel Valley.

Stone said he found it ironic and extremely frustrating that Arcadia Council would spend over 2 hours Tuesday evening discussing (3) residential oak trees but couldn’t find the time to confer the fate over 200 plus mature trees in a residential area of Arcadia. A lone voice of reason on coucil appeared to be Gary Kovacic according to Stone  – the other council members seemed somewhat indifferent on the issue, according to Cam Stone.

Stone said that the County goal all along has been to take down the woodlands to allow for 2 million cubic yards of sediment. If the county plan goes forward,   they are “ sentencing residents to decades of hundreds of thousands of trucks along our local roads.”

Stone also said he has been asking L A County Public Works for a meeting for weeks but no one has agreed to meet with him and other supporters of the woodland’s future.

Stone who has been enjoying the woods since he was 12 years old now faces another hurdle.  Security guards.  The guards are a brand new equation in the battle.

It seems the county has very recently hired security guards on the property in anticipation of  people trespassing on to the property. When Beacon Media called Public Works, they denied any knowledge of security guards on the property. “This is the first I’ve heard of it” said Mike Kaspar, Public Information Officer for County Public Works.

www.gopetition.com/petition/41757.html

The petition addresses  Supervisor Antonovich:

“Dear Supervisor Antonovich,

We the undersigned urge you to work with the Dept. of Public Works to find an alternative disposal site for the sediment to be removed from the reservoir behind the Santa Anita Dam, and to support long-term protection of the oak woodlands. Please join other groups [listed below] in achieving permanent protection of the oaks.

Sierra Club
California Oaks
Pasadena Garden Club
Pasadena Audubon Society
Sierra Madre Mountain Conservancy
San Gabriel Mountains Chapter of the California Native Plant Society

Thank you for your consideration of this request.

Sincerely,”

The County put a 30 day moratoreum on the plan due to public pressure to save the trees and woodland. That moratorium expires this Thursday. The plan to clear cut the 11 acres has been approved but put on hold pending a report from public works after a meeting which was held last month where residents overwhelmingly opposed the county’s plan.

When we visited the site on Tuesday, we could hear a lot of machinrey in use, presumably in preparation of the planned removal of the trees which could start as early as Thursday.

However,  the report asking for alternatives, is due Thursday for supervisors’ review.

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