[Sosfbay-discuss] Eucalyptus Tree Destruction

[Andrea Dorey]

Sorry to disagree with this position, but these high resin-containing 
trees are one of the MOST DANGEROUS trees we have growing in 
fire-hazard (desert) California.

Fire departments hate them.  They are living torches waiting to ignite.

They were the main cause of the burn-down of the Oakland hills.

They can explode and drop huge limbs in the summer (due to resin 
expansion) and they torch at excessively high temperatures that will 
spontaneously ignite structures less than 100 feet away.  And during 
the winter, the winds break off large limbs and debris that litter the 
ground and the streets around them.

They are NOT native to this country, having been imported from, I 
believe, Australia.  Their droppings sterilize the ground and prevent 
any other growth, including native plants, from establishing themselves 
beneath or nearby these trees.  The droppings are highly fire-hazardous 
as well.

Small fire departments in rural areas are trying to rid themselves of 
this menace.

I know they are big and beautiful and they smell nice if you like 
medicine wafting through your neighborhood year-round, but there are 
other trees that can grow big and gracefully without creating a 
year-round hazard.

Andrea

On Nov 9, 2005, at 1:34 PM, MARKETPOIN at aol.com wrote:

> This may or may not be of interest to some of you but I thought I 
> would let you know about it.
>
>  The Mid Peninsula Regional Open Space District is going to be voting 
> tonight on the fate of six unusually large and beautiful Eucalyptus 
> Trees in Pulgas Ridge Open Space Preserve located off of Edgewood Road 
> bordering San Carlos and Redwood City. 
>
>  They have cut down over fifty Eucalyptus Trees over the past five 
> years in the Preserve.  The trees that are left are the largest and 
> most majestic ones.  We gathered 250 signatures a few years ago in the 
> park that indicated that the public that uses the park do not want 
> these trees to be destroyed.
>
>  But the MROSD has ignored the public pleas and continue to follow a 
> unilateral strategy to transform the preserve to what they call 
> "native" habitat.  If this issue interest you, please call this 
> afternoon or attend the meeting tonight. (See information below)
>
>  Tonight the Board of Directors will meet at 7:30pm at their offices 
> at 330 Distel Circle in Los Altos to decide the fate of six more of 
> these trees.  Public comment can be made at the meeting or by phone at 
> 650 691-1200 or by e-mail at info at openspace.org.  Their website is 
> www.openspace.org.
>
>  Judy_______________________________________________
> sosfbay-discuss mailing list
> sosfbay-discuss at marla.cagreens.org
> http://marla.cagreens.org/mailman/listinfo/sosfbay-discuss
>
Chinese Proverb:
"If you do not climb the mountain, you will not see the plain."

Andrea Dorey
408-306-1900 (cell phone, short messages please)