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Barger introduces motion to designate oak tree a historic landmark
Environment Jun 29, 2023
The oak tree known as Old Glory stands in Stevenson Ranch's Pico Canyon Park. | Photo courtesy of Konrad Summers/Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0)
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By Tim Haddock
The oak tree in Pico Canyon Park known as Old Glory has a long history tied to environmentalists and preservation — and it gained famed 20 years ago when area activists saved it from being destroyed for a development project in Stevenson Ranch.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger wants to give Old Glory its proper place in the history of Los Angeles County. She introduced a motion Tuesday during the Board of Supervisors meeting to designate the centuries-old tree as a Los Angeles County Historic Landmark.
“Old Glory means a lot to the community and is deserving of the protection that being a Los Angeles County Historic Landmark brings,” Barger said in a statement. “This oak symbolizes strength and perseverance. I want to make sure we take all the actions possible to preserve community assets like Old Glory. We must be good environmental stewards and I take the responsibility seriously.”
The 70-foot tree is estimated to be over 400 years old. When plans to remove the tree for a housing and urban development project in Pico Canyon surfaced, John Quigley and a group of environmentalists began a campaign to save the tree. Quigley lived in the tree for 71 days in 2002 and 2003 before an agreement was made to move Old Glory instead of destroying it.
There was a reunion in March at the new site of Old Glory in Pico Canyon Park to mark the 20th anniversary of saving the tree.
“We are a part of nature and we come from nature,” Quigley said in March. “That moment with Old Glory was just a moment where it feels like there was a higher power at work brought all the right people together to save that tree.”
The motion introduced by Barger instructs the director of the Los Angeles County Department of Regional Planning to initiate the nomination process for Old Glory as a Los Angeles County Historic Landmark. The board will vote on the motion during its next meeting on July 11.
Lynne Plambeck from the Santa Clarita Organization for Planning and the Environment and a member of the Newhall Water District Board at the time Old Glory was the target of removal helped organize the reunion in March.
Quigley returned and climbed into the tree again. Members of the Santa Clarita City Council attended and activists spoke about how important the tree was to the community.
“It’s awareness. It’s understanding how important oak trees are. People are starting to understand how important oak trees are,” Plambeck said in March. “People came together from different cultures, different political viewpoints, and they saved a tree together.”
