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# Letter: Questioning city plans to remove downtown ficus and residential carob trees
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/more-tree-talk-editor/
- Published: 2008-05-07T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-24T19:29:52.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Opinion, Downtown, #archive-import

*By Bob Wolff Santa Monica*

It is good to see readers write about local happenings with which they agree or disagree; it is a keystone of our democracy.

But, when we take the words and actions of our leaders and their staff at face value; we tend to get into trouble both locally and nationally. It would be even better if we questioned those in authority more, before allowing actions to be taken that are not reversible.

This is what Treesavers and NOMA are doing regarding the 30 plus ficus trees downtown and the 300 plus carob trees in the residential areas north of Montana \[Avenue\].

We are questioning the background of the so-called “science and analysis” that we are told has gone into declaring all of these trees … a risk to potentially injuring people. If the risk can be proven, not by just city paid consultants, but outside experts as well; then the trees should be removed. If trees can be saved by proper trimming and support then that should be done to prolong their useful lives, while replacement trees are raised to a decent size. At present, this is not even an option in the city’s plans.

Santa Monica pride’s itself on being a green city. Just talking the talk though does not get it done.

Our City Council members need to expand their horizons and take better care of our inherited valuable assets. Perhaps we need a tree council like San Francisco that can assist the city where it seems to need help. Listen to your citizens; over 8,000 people have signed petitions to save the ficus trees downtown, thousands more will be working to save viable carob trees.

Our city government should not close its eyes and ears to the people as has been done in our federal government in Washington for the past seven years.

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on May 7, 2008.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/050708.pdf?ref=smdp.com)