> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Treesavers to stage night rally - URL: https://www.smdp.com/treesavers-to-stage-night-rally/ - Published: 2008-05-20T15:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-25T00:04:25.000Z - Author: Melody Hanatani - Tags: Government & Politics, Downtown, #archive-import *Treesavers to ask for more money for tree planting* The image of 23 down ficus trees fresh in their minds, a group of activists are planning to stage an all-night peace rally in protest of what they are calling, “The May 16 Tree Massacre.” Just four days after the specimens were removed from Second and Fourth streets, identified by city officials as structurally unstable and a threat to public safety, the Santa Monica Treesavers say they intend to camp out on the front steps of City Hall from 5 p.m. today until 9 a.m. Wednesday, their overnight stay coinciding with the City Council’s study session on the upcoming budget. Several activists plan to speak during the council meeting, which will touch on the Community Maintenance Department’s budget, requesting that more money be spent on tree planting rather than removal. The Treesavers are protesting a tree removal plan that is part of a beautification project for Downtown Santa Monica, including the removal of 23 unstable trees and the relocation of seven others. The trees were destroyed during the early morning hours of last Friday, just two days after the California Appellate Court dismissed a petition by the Treesavers challenging the ficus removal and relocation plan, giving City Hall the green light to proceed with the project. The streetscape improvement project includes sidewalk repairs, lighting enhancements and curb extensions. Each removed and relocated ficus tree will be replaced with two ginkgo biloba trees. City officials said the seven-month delay in the project — starting last October when the court restrained City Hall from removing the trees — has cost taxpayers more than $100,000 and endangered approximately $3 million in federal and regional funding. The Treesavers are also calling on the council to form an urban forestry commission that would advise on tree removal proposals. A discussion item about the proposed commission has been placed on the June 24 council agenda. The seven ficus trees are slated to be relocated to the Palisades Garden Walk on the former Rand Corp. site. City Manager Lamont Ewell pointed out that City Hall has a 95 percent success rate in relocating trees, which supports the urban forest by extending the city’s canopy, moving them to areas that allow the specimens to better flourish. “The relocation of the seven trees is actually in support of their long-term health and vitality, and in essence retains canopy,” Ewell said. “Relocation to the Palisades Garden Walk park spares them from the regular root pruning necessary to prevent them from creating tripping hazards by displacing the sidewalks. 49D,“Relocation allows their canopies to grow without constant pruning and also gives them the opportunity to grow closer to their natural size,” he added. The Treesavers argue that some of the trees that were taken out were healthy, pointing to a report by consulting arborist Cy Carlberg who found that 14 of the 23 trees removed were identified as having a low-risk failure potential. Several of those 14 trees had a hazard rating of seven and eight out of 12. “These are trees that were cut down unnecessarily,” Rubin said. Mayor Herb Katz said he does not foresee the council reopening the discussion about the seven remaining ficus trees in the project, considering that the majority of the councilmembers — with the exception of Councilmember Kevin McKeown — voted for the project. “We have been through these hearings with the Treesavers several times and we have been to court,” Katz said. “I don’t know what else we can do.” Jump hedline: Treesavers to ask for more money for tree planting Suggested pullquote: “We want to make sure the city abandons its plans to relocate the seven healthy ficus trees.” Jerry Rubin Founder, Santa Monica Treesavers ;˚ 4,inpm 4, äú– 4, 4, <Ú∞ 4 ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/052008-02_01.jpg) GROUNDED: The city removed 23 ficus trees from the downtown area on Friday. (Photo: Photo courtesy J. Scott Smith) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/052008-02_02.jpg) GROUNDED: The city removed 23 ficus trees from the downtown area on Friday. (Photo: Photo courtesy J. Scott Smith) *Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on May 20, 2008.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/052008.pdf?ref=smdp.com)