Policies and Guidelines

The StreetsLA Urban Forestry Division (UFD) controls and maintains over 650,000 street trees and over 240 acres of landscaped medians. Additionally, UFD upholds protection of Oak trees and other native tree and shrub species protected by the City of Los Angeles’ Protected Tree and Shrub Ordinance. There are over 1000 different tree species growing along the City’s public right-of-way, and UFD’s goal is to ensure optimum tree canopy cover throughout the many communities in the City.
Street trees are recognized as an essential part of the City’s urban forest infrastructure, an infrastructure system identified in the City’s General Plan Framework, and as such will receive equal consideration with other City infrastructure systems. The considerable benefits derived from street trees are optimized by UFD’s management practices, which include but are not limited to:

• Utilizing consistent best management practices (i.e International Society of Arboriculture, American Standards Institute, etc) for planting, pruning, management, and removal of trees along the public streets
• Ensuring that public agencies and private enterprises impacting street trees operate with common goals and objectives to preserve trees when feasible
• Protecting and providing for the necessary care of existing street trees consistent with staffing and resource availability
• Providing mixed age tree population, adequate species diversity, and an appropriate mix of tree types (evergreen vs. deciduous), in order to provide a diverse forest ecosystem more able to adapt to changing environmental pressures
• Providing varied forms, textures, structure, flowering characteristics and other aesthetic benefits to enhance the types of street environments found in the City

The City’s urban forest is among the most diverse in the world, and it produces many benefits for all Angelenos. In addition to trees’ abilities to beautify streets and neighborhoods, a healthy and sustainable urban forest also provides numerous environmental benefits.
Here is some of what trees do for us:

• Shade our homes and streets, reducing energy usage and minimizing the “heat island effect”
  • A properly selected and maintained tree can reduce summer cooling costs by 10 to 50%.
  • In the winter, properly placed trees can shield your home from cold winds
• Clean the air by absorbing and storing carbon (a main ingredient in the formation of smog), and removing it from the atmosphere
• Produce oxygen
  • A mature tree can produce enough oxygen annually to meet the needs of a family of four for an entire year.
• Trap air pollution particles (particulate matter)
• Intercept and absorb storm water, reducing runoff and soil erosion
• Screen out noise pollution and reduce stress
• Provide habitat for wildlife, which is very important in an urban setting
• Improve property values by as much as 15%

Additionally, studies have even shown that hospital patients whose rooms looked out onto an area planted with trees were happier and healed faster than those patients who did not have that benefit.
The StreetsLA Urban Forestry Division is committed to managing the street trees in the City to ensure that all the residents of the City enjoy the optimum benefits from our urban forest.

The City of Los Angeles has recognized and designated several street tree locations as worthy of Historic-Cultural Monument status. The StreetsLA Urban Forestry Division (UFD) shares the City’s commitment to preserving these trees. The following special policies apply to all street tree locations designated as Historic-Cultural Monuments:

• Except in the interest of public safety after inspection by a Division Certified Arborist, no Historic-Cultural Monument tree shall be removed without public posting, notification of intent provided to the Historic-Cultural Monument Commission, and a public hearing held before the Board of Public Works for review and determination of the proposed removal request.
• No pruning permits shall be issued for Historic-Cultural Monument street trees without written approval of Urban Forestry Division management.

• Monument #41 (Council District 12) – Deodar Cedar (Cedrus deodar) trees on White Oak Avenue between Devonshire Street and Ronald Reagan Freeway (118)
• Monument #49 (Council District 12) – Olive (Olea europea) trees on Lassen Street between Topanga Canyon Boulevard and Farralone Avenue
• Monument #67 (Council District 4) – Deodar Cedar (Cedrus deodar) trees on Los Feliz Boulevard between Riverside Drive and Western Avenue
• Monument #49 (Council District 12) – Olive (Olea europea) trees on Lassen Street between Topanga Canyon Boulevard and Farralone Avenue
• Monument #93 (Council District 3) – California Pepper (Schinus molle) trees on Canoga Avenue between Ventura Boulevard and Saltillo Street
• Monument #94 (Council District 5) – Median island Queen Palm (Syagrus romanzoffianum) and Mexican Fan Palm (Washingtonia robusta) trees on Highland Avenue
• Monument #148 (Council District 11) – Coral (Erythrina caffra) trees on San Vicente Boulevard between Bringham Avenue and 26th Street
• Monument #465 (Council District 11) – Sycamore (Platanus racemosa) trees on Bienvenida Avenue between Sunset Boulevard and dead end south of Sunset Boulevard
• Monument #509 (Council District 15) – Camphor (Cinnamomum camphora) trees in the 1200 block of Lakme Avenue
• Monument #940 (Council District 4) – Moreton Bay Figs (Ficus macrophylla) on Vermont Avenue between Los Feliz Boulevard and Aberdeen Avenue

If you have any questions regarding these Historic-Cultural Monument street trees, please contact UFD at bss.urbanforestry@lacity.org.

For detailed information on our right-of-way landscaping guidelines, please click here.

The StreetsLA Urban Forestry Division (UFD)’s top priority is the safety of the street trees it manages. Nevertheless, since trees are dynamic living organisms, trees sometimes fail in part or whole, which may constitute a “tree emergency.”
Tree emergencies occur when a tree or limb has fallen, or is in danger of falling, and the public right-of-way is blocked or impacted. If this occurs, please immediately submit a MyLA311 service request under the category of “tree emergency.”
Occasionally, tree failures may cause damage. If this occurs, a Damage Claim form may be obtained by contacting the City Clerk’s office at (213) 978-1133 or at the City Clerk’s Public Counter, located at Room 395, City Hall, 200 N. Spring Street (entrance on Main Street).

Under the provisions of the Los Angeles Municipal Code 62.104(b), maintenance of sidewalks, curbs, and driveway approaches is the responsibility of the abutting property owners.
To report a sidewalk problem, please submit a service request via MyLA311.

In the world of infrastructure, trees and/or their roots at times conflict with other structures. Sewer laterals, the branch of the City’s sewer system that serves a particular property, are at times impacted.
A property owner’s private connection of a sewer lateral to the publicly owned main sewer is not of general benefit, because the lateral only serves a single lot. Therefore, the responsibility for the construction, maintenance, and repair of house connection sewer laterals lies with the property owner. All sewer lateral repair and associated tree costs – including but not limited to root pruning and tree removal – are completely at the property owner’s expense.
Tree roots do not enter sewer lines unless there is a break that leaks moisture and provides an opening, encouraging root penetration. Root invasion can generally be remedied by periodic rotary root removal. Extensive damage may require excavation and installation of a new sewer line. StreetsLA’s Urban Forestry Division will assist the property owner in acquiring the necessary permits if a sewer problem involves a street tree.

The City does not root prune parkway trees as an interim corrective measure to prevent sidewalk damage or to discourage roots from growing into private property. As an alternative, property owners may perform root pruning at their own expense by obtaining a no-fee permit from the StreetsLA Urban Forestry Division.

• HIRE A QUALIFIED ARBORIST
  • Certified by the Western Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture
  • Hold a valid C61/C49 State contractors license
  • Ask for local references
• PROPER CUTS
  • Pruning cuts shall be made in branch tissue just outside the branch bark ridge and collar, without causing injury to the tree
  • No flush cuts shall be made and no stubs shall be left in the tree
  • Cuts shall have no ripping or tearing of the bark
• PROPER THINNING
  • Seldom should more than 25% of the trees foliage be removed
  • Sufficient branch structure should remain in the interior of the tree
  • Foliage shall be removed in a manner to leave the tree in symmetrical balance
• PROPER CROWN RAISING
  • Trees shall be raised to conform to Los Angeles Municipal Code (heights listed on trim permit)
• NO TOPPING CUTS SHALL BE MADE
  • Topping cuts invite insects and decay
  • New growth is weak and promotes profuse watersprout growth
  • Depletes trees’ energy stores
  • Reduces photosynthesis
  • Prohibits trees’ ability to gather and process sunlight reducing survivability
• PERMITS/INSPECTION
  • Street tree pruning requires a permit from the Urban Forestry Division
  • A follow-up tree inspection may be performed after street trees have been pruned upon request of the applicant or management
  • All street trees shall be pruned to comply with the ISA Tree Pruning Guidelines and the ANSI A300 standards. Federal and State law prohibit destruction of raptor, migratory, and song birds. It is the contractor’s or permittee’s responsibility to ensure these laws are not violated during the execution of a pruning permit.

A large component of sustainable urban forestry is managing a comprehensive tree planting program. As the agency that manages the portion of the urban forest in the City’s public rights-of-way, StreetsLA is responsible for determining the proper tree species to be planted, the container size of the tree, and spacing between trees. The Bureau’s Urban Forestry Division (UFD) performs limited new tree planting and replacement; reviews/approves plans for various development projects; and issues permits to non-profit and community groups, and individuals in tree planting projects.
All tree planting requires a no-fee plant permit that is issued by the Bureau’s UFD. The permit ensures that UFD can update the street tree inventory and manage new tree plantings.
Selecting the proper tree species for a particular location is one of the most critical factors when planting in the public right-of-way. The size of the tree well or parkway, the presence of utility lines above or below ground, condition of soil, climatic zone, spacing between trees, and proximity to buildings and existing infrastructure all must be taken into account. A UFD arborist will conduct an on-site inspection and consult with you to determine the proper tree species.
City of Los Angeles street trees shall be planted using the most current tree care industry standards and Best Management Practices. Newly planted trees must be staked and tied, provided with a watering moat, and properly watered.
To assist your tree-planting project, please consult our Street Tree Selection Guide that lists one hundred fifty species approved for the public right-of-way. This list is not all inclusive and other species may be considered. Please note that UFD is the final arbiter for deciding which tree species can be planted.
To apply for a tree planting permit from StreetsLA Urban forestry Division, - click HERE
City policy requires that all new plantings adhere to the following specifications:

• Trees shall be a minimum 15-gallon size.
• Trees shall be installed with two untreated ten foot “lodgepole” wooden stakes.
• Trees shall be secured to the stake with two rubber tree ties in accordance with standard specifications ( Plan S-663-1).
• Linear root control barriers may be required ( 456-2).
• The permittee shall agree to maintain the tree for a five-year establishment period and replace if necessary.

• Young trees should be watered slowly and deeply to allow for the proper growth of roots.
• Water may be applied, to a newly planted tree, in a berm moat to ensure the water gets to the root ball of the tree.
• Keep the soil around the tree moist by watering the tree with 10-20 gallons of water every five days for the first eight weeks after the tree is planted. More water may be needed during long periods of severe heat and drying winds, conversely, less water may be needed during extended periods of cool, rainy weather.
• Keep tree(s) base area free of grass and weeds.
• After established (usually after two years), many tree species can survive with very little supplemental irrigation. Watering should be done primarily during extreme heat or prolonged drought periods.
• Do not fertilize the trees.
• Do not use mechanical weed trimmers at the base of the trees.
• Protect from vandalism.
• Remove tree ties and stakes after 1-3 years, as needed.

1. SOURCE StreetsLA Urban Forestry Division (UFD) is notified by Bureau of Engineering (BOE).
2. REVIEW UFD checks for inclusion and accuracy of standard tree notes and provides a bond estimate relative to the number of trees to be planted along a project’s frontage.
3. REVIEW COMPLETED UFD completes its review, notifies BOE and the process proceeds.
4. LOD CLEARANCE UFD reviews the Draft Letter of Determination (LOD) to confirm that the conditions for tree planting and bond estimate are being accurately incorporated.
   1. (if applicable) If the project includes removing parkway trees or disturbance of native trees, this extends Step 4. UFD may need to review and inspect, prior to issuing the clearance.
5. LOD & B-PERMIT ISSUED Once the project is under construction, one of the final steps is planting the trees. In this stage, UFD will coordinate three site inspections with the applicant.

1. SOURCE Bureau of Engineering (BOE) submits applicant/developer request to StreetsLA Urban Forestry Division (UFD).
2. U-PERMIT ISSUED BY BOE BOE issues a U-permit for excavations in the public right-of-way for utilities. UFD will verify that there are no issues with trees or tree roots.
3. REVIEW UFD receives and reviews request and communicates findings to the applicant. Some projects may require a root prune permit and site visit/inspection. Revisions to proposed design may be required.
4. U-PERMIT CLEARANCE Once all revisions are made and UFD is satisfied, UFD will provide the clearance./li>

NOTES: This process occurs significantly after the Letter of Determination (LOD) has been issued by the Department of City Planning (DCP), should this be a discretionary type of project. (By-right projects do not need an LOD from DCP.) By the time this step occurs, construction is occurring within the public right-of-way, which will generally be toward the final stages of construction for the building project.

1. SOURCE Applicant/developer request is submitted to StreetsLA Urban Forestry Division (UFD)
2. REVIEW StreetsLA reviews applicant’s landscape plan submittal for the public right-of-way.
3. FEEDBACK PROVIDED For Revocable A-Permits, StreetsLA provides applicant a comment sheet with revisions, and a marked-up plan.
   For Revocable B-Permits, StreetsLA comments directly to BOE.
4. BOE ISSUES PERMIT Once comments and approvals are received from all partner agencies, including StreetsLA, the Revocable A- or B-Permit is issued by BOE.

1. SOURCE Applicant makes request pursuant to LADBS Clearance Summary Worksheet - Via BOE’s Customer Service (CSR) Portal
2. REQUEST RECEIVED StreetsLA reviews to ensure tree preservation has been incorporated into the project design. Clearance must be provided for the applicant to obtain building permit.
3. REVIEW REVIEWED UFD receives and reviews request and communicates findings to the applicant. Revisions to proposed design may be required.
4. CLEARANCE PROVIDED Once all revisions are made, UFD will provide the clearance. If protected trees will be disturbed/removed, a tree removal permit will ultimately be required.

1. SOURCE Applicant makes request pursuant to LADBS Clearance Summary Worksheet - Via BOE’s Customer Service (CSR) Portal
2. REQUEST RECEIVED StreetsLA reviews to ensure tree preservation has been incorporated into the project design. Clearance must be provided for the applicant to obtain building permit.
3. REVIEW REVIEWED UFD receives and reviews request and communicates findings to the applicant. Revisions to proposed design may be required.
4. CLEARANCE PROVIDED Once all revisions are made, UFD will provide the clearance. If protected trees will be disturbed/removed, a tree removal permit will ultimately be required.

The StreetsLA Urban Forestry Division (UFD) recycles 100% of the horticultural green waste produced by City tree care operations producing approximately 22,000 tons of mulch annually.
Recycling green waste and wood products provides the City many benefits. The diversion of green waste helps to conserve rapidly dwindling landfill space and postpone the construction of new landfills. Nearly 24% of the City’s entire waste stream is composed of landscaping and wood waste. The savings that this recycling program generates are substantial.
The mulch that is produced by green waste recycling is placed along the City’s landscaped median islands, at selected LADWP sites, and is also made available to local partners. The use of mulch around trees and landscapes reduces evaporation and conserves significant amounts of water, one of our state’s most precious resources, and improves the porosity and aeration of the soil resulting in healthier, more vigorous plants and increased ecological services. Mulching also helps to reduce erosion and acts as a barrier to emerging weeds, reducing the necessity to buy, mix, and apply herbicides.

City policy is directed towards the preservation of all parkway trees and does not provide for removal unless the tree is dead or cannot be trimmed and/or root pruned to be made safe.
Alternative methods and options to removal are explored prior to considering potential tree removal. However, under certain circumstances, a tree removal permit may be considered.
Circumstances where a permit may be considered are:

1. Off-grade sidewalk replacement.
2. Sewer line replacement, relocation, or installation.
3. Water main or natural gas line repair, relocation, or installation.
4. Off-grade driveway or driveway apron replacement.
5. New driveway installation or relocation of an existing driveway.
6. Structure construction requiring tree removal.

Tree removal permits can be requested via StreetsLA Online Application Portal

There are several areas in the City of Los Angeles where the parkway trees contribute so much to the identity of the neighborhood that the trees have become a defining element of their community. One such area is in San Pedro on Dodson Ave between 9th Street and Western Avenue. The California Pepper (Schinus molle) trees that line Dodson Avenue were planted in approximately 1920 and are beautiful heritage trees.
The California Pepper is not a California native; it is originally from Peru and is not truly a pepper. The reference to pepper comes from the small red fruit that is produced in the fall of each year. The tree became associated with California as a result of their planting by Spanish missionaries as fast growing shade trees. Today, the oldest and largest Pepper trees are found on the grounds of Mission San Luis Ray and Mission San Juan Capistrano.

Palm trees are iconic in the City of Los Angeles both for residents and visitors alike. People from all walks of life cannot help but notice the prominence of thousands of tall, thin, and gently waving Palm trees set against the skyline of our City. In markets, drug stores, and souvenir shops, one can hardly find a panoramic post card of Los Angeles that is not dominated by the tall, stately Palm trees. The movie and television industry often utilize the City’s skyline, and the Palm trees are often the focal point. And to many people outside of our beautiful City, Palm trees are symbolic of the City of Los Angeles.
Our skyline’s tall, thin, stately Palm trees are predominantly Mexican Fan Palm (Washingtonia robusta) trees. Indigenous to Mexico, many of these tall trees were planted during the 1920s and 1930s as an enticement to the Midwestern and Eastern population to relocate to the warm and sunny southland.
There are also thousands of California Fan Palm (Washingtonia filifera), Canary Island Date Palm (Phoenix canariensis), and Queen Palm (Syagrus romanzoffiana) trees. The California Fan Palm is a close relative to the Mexican Fan Palm, native to the interior desert canyons of California, and the only palm species native to California. The Canary Island Date Palm is indigenous to the Canary Islands and has a larger circumference trunk with long, arching, feather shaped fronds. This species is reported to have been introduced in Southern California by Father Junipero Serra. Queen Palm trees are slender with long arching feathery fronds similar to the Canary Date Palm while not obtaining the height of many of its brethren.
Although these four species make up the majority of the Palm trees in Los Angeles, there are at least thirty other species of palms growing along our City streets. The four most populous Palm street trees are:

• Mexican Fan Palm, 42,000
• Queen Palm, 10,800
• Canary Island Date Palm, 10,200
• California Fan Palm, 3,000

Although not as broad canopied as deciduous and evergreen trees, Palm trees do provide ecosystem services such as soil erosion control, rainwater interception, and particulate matter removal to name a few. Palm trees are a distant cousin to grasses but are indeed trees as defined by arboriculture definitions.

Southern California native tree species comprise a significant part of our urban forest. In recognition of these species’ contribution to the natural environment, the City of Los Angeles enacted an ordinance to protect them against removal or damage.
In the City of Los Angeles, protected native tree species are:

• All Oak species
• California Sycamore (Platanus racemosa)
• Southern California Black Walnut (Juglans californica)
• Bay Laurel (Umbellularia californica)
• Mexican Elderberry
• Toyon

Refer to the “Photographic Guide To The City of Los Angeles Protected Trees and Shrubs”
These species are very sensitive to environmental changes such as: changing of original grade within the dripline of the tree, over watering particularly in the summer months, loss of roots, and overpruning.
For the most part, native species require little or no pruning other than periodic removal of dry wood. In fact, the pruning of green tissue increases the probability of disease organisms gaining entrance into a tree. Pruning should be limited to the removal of dead or diseased limbs in fall and winter months with no heavy pruning at any time. Occasionally, a mature tree may benefit from a light thinning (removal of 10 to 20 percent of live green foliage) to reduce the weight of branches and to open foliage for light penetration and reduced wind resistance. Pruning may also be required to provide vehicular and pedestrian clearance and/or to provide clearance from buildings and other infrastructure such as traffic control devices, streetlights, and energized lines.
Native trees should never be severely pruned. Severely pruned trees are unsightly and respond with vigorous, weakly attached growth that is susceptible to powder mildew. Large pruning wounds are also more subject to decay. To prevent the spread of disease, climbing “gaffs” shall not be used at any time when pruning Oak trees.
All native tree pruning shall comply with the International Society of Arboriculture “Tree Pruning Guidelines;” The American National Standards Institute “Trees, Shrubs and Other Woody Plants Maintenance Standard Practices” (ANSI A300); and the City of Los Angeles’ “Tree Trimming Standards” to ensure proper pruning practices.

The use of Ivy and other vine-like plants for ground cover in parkways adjacent to your property serves a useful aesthetic and soil erosion purpose. However, if allowed to grow uncontrolled, these plants may create challenges:

• Most of these plants tend to mat and result in challenging walking conditions for pedestrians, especially those leaving parked vehicles.
• The subject plants will eventually attach themselves to and grow up into parkway trees. The vines grow faster than trees and may overgrow and eventually suffocate the tree.

For these reasons, we discourage the use of Ivy and vines as a public right-of-way groundcover. When ivy and other vine-like plants are located in the public right-of-way, it is the adjacent property owner’s responsibility to ensure the plant does not hinder public egress and ingress through the parkway and to prohibit the vine from entering the street tree.

If you are a contractor hired by StreetsLA, please review the below checklist of how to properly submit an invoice to our Bureau.
Your invoice must include the following:

• Company’s letterhead, official logo, or other unique and identifying information.
• Company’s name, address and contact information (phone number and/or email).
• Name and address of the City Department being billed.
• A unique invoice number.
• Date of the invoice and the service period covered.
• Reference to the City Contract number under which the goods or services were provided.
• Description of the goods provided or services performed and the amount due for the services.
• Name(s) of all personnel performing work for any work hours invoiced to the City. The invoice must include the number of hours worked for each person, and the hourly rate for each person.
• Payment terms, total due, and due date.
• Certification by a duly authorized officer of the Company.
• Remittance Address (if different than Company’s address).
• City of Los Angeles Business Tax Registration Certificate Number.

Please provide these supporting documents:

• Copy of written approval from StreetsLA authorizing work to be performed.
• Evidence that the services invoiced have been completed, such as a deliverable, report, brochure, attendance sign-in rosters, or photographs, etc.
• Documentation for all items where cost reimbursement is sought [if applicable].
• Documentation for work performed by subcontractors [if applicable].

Other requirements:

• All vendors must upload insurance information at the following site: https://kwikcomply.org/

An Authorization for Expenditure (AFE) is a mechanism used by the City of Los Angeles to encumber funds for services that are used for limited, one-time and/or short term needs to pay fees and services that are not ongoing. The City Controller sets fiscal policy for AFEs and the City Attorney reviews and approves all AFEs over $25,000.

Personal Services Contracts are for services of a professional or technical nature that are over $25,000. These types of contracts, including pre-qualified on-call consultant contracts, must be in writing and approved by the City Attorney. Contracts over 3 years require Council approval.
Construction Contracts are awarded by the Board of Public Works for construction work, design consultants or other personal services directly related to construction work for the City’s capital improvement projects. Contracts over 5 years require Council approval.