CHAMPIONING THE PROTECTED TREE ORDINANCE (PTO)

As a champion of biodiversity, Blumenfield worked with several City departments to expand the protected tree ordinance. This ordinance explicitly bars any person from relocating or removing a protected tree, without first having applied for and obtained a permit from the Board of Public Works, Urban Forest Division and it requires appropriate replacement. Protected trees include Southern California native tree species that include Oak trees such as Valley Oak and California Live Oak; Southern California Black Walnuts; Western Sycamore; and California Bay. Recently,  Blumenfield helped add the Mexican Elderberry and Toyon shrubs to the City’s PTO.