BACKGROUND

During the June 11, 2024 meeting, the City Council approved a $350,000 contract renewal agreement for citywide tree trimming and maintenance services with Travers Tree Service Inc. through June 30, 2025. The City has an existing contract with Travers, which was initially awarded June 23, 2021.

To request to trim a public tree or to report a concern regarding a tree, please complete Section 1 of the Tree Intake Form below and submit it via email to engineering@pvestates.org. For questions, contact (310) 750-9821 or email engineering@pvestates.org.

Click here for the Public Tree Trimming/Removal Intake Form.

TREE TRIMMING & REMOVAL DO'S

• Check where your property line is located and verify ownership of the tree.  Although the tree appears to be in your yard or on private property, the tree may actually be a public tree located in the public right-of-way or parklands.  Contact Urban Forester Carl Moritz at (310) 750-9813 cmoritz@pvestates.org to confirm ownership of the tree.
  
  
• If a tree is confirmed to be private property, contact the Palos Verdes Homes Association and Art Jury (PVHA) at (310) 373-6721 for next steps.  The PVHA’s contact information and hours are available on their website, www.pvha.org.
  
  
• Get a proposal from a qualified tree trimming company for standard trimming.  Standard trimming means no height reduction, no topping, and no aggressive thinning, which is typically more than 25% reduction of the density. The City requires contractors to have a business license, a C61/D49 tree trimming specialty contractor’s license, liability insurance of $1,000,000, and Workmen’s Compensation.
  
  
• If a tree is public, determine if Parklands Committee approval is required.  If a tree is not immediately adjacent to your property (i.e., in an area that appears to be your front or side yard), if the tree is adjacent to your neighbor’s property, or if you wish to remove the tree, top the tree, or trim the tree in excess of what the City considers to be “standard trimming,” Parklands Committee approval is required. Contact Urban Forester Carl Moritz at (310) 750-9813 or cmoritz@pvestates.org for additional information and to discuss the request. A permit application to the Parklands Committee and payment of the applicable fees is required.

  If a tree is adjacent to your neighbor’s property and the request is to complete standard trimming only, written permission from the property owner adjacent to the tree can be submitted to the City for review and may waive the requirement for Parklands Committee approval.

  After submission of the application, the request will be reviewed by the Parklands Committee. Action taken by the Parklands Committee is advisory. PVE City Council will take action on all items at a subsequent City Council meeting.

• If Parklands Committee approval is not required, or after the Parklands Committee recommends approval and City Council takes action on the approval, hire a qualified tree trimming company and the tree trimming company will request the applicable type of tree trimming permit from the City.

  The City requires contractors to have a business license, a C61/D49 tree trimming specialty contractor’s license, liability insurance of $1,000,000, and Workmen’s Compensation.

  There are multiple types of permits, such as tree trimming, tree topping, and tree removal, and there are different fees associated with each permit type and the extent of trimming that is to be completed. Permits can be applied for, and the associated fees can be paid in person at City Hall.  If you have not done so already, it is recommended that requests be discussed with Urban Forester Carl Moritz prior to applying for a permit. 

• Schedule the work for the season appropriate for the species of tree(s) to be trimmed. This will be discussed with Urban Forester Carl Moritz when applying for a permit or when reviewing an application to the Parklands Committee.
  
  
• Schedule the work for the season appropriate for bird nesting season and conduct a bird nest survey prior to any work.  Bird nesting season is February through September, so this time of year should be avoided. In California some bird nests can be found at any time of year, so a bird nest survey is needed any time of year.
  
  
• Stop all work if active bird nests are found and reschedule the tree trimming or removal.  It is illegal to destroy a nest or eggs of any bird, and violators are subject to Federal, State, and local enforcement.
  
  
• Stop all work if a tree is within 50 feet of an active Songbird nest or 500 feet of an active Raptor nest.  Songbirds and Raptors are protected, and tree trimming is not permitted near their nests. Violators are subject to Federal, State, and local enforcement.

• DO NOT TRIM OR REMOVE A TREE WITHOUT CHECKING IF IT IS A PUBLIC TREE.

• DO NOT TRIM OR REMOVE ANY PUBLIC TREES WITHOUT THE REQUIRED PERMIT(S) FROM THE CITY.
  
  
• DO NOT HIRE AN UNQUALIFIED CONTRACTOR.
  
  
• DO NOT TRIM A TREE DURING THE INCORRECT SEASON FOR THE SPECIES OF THE TREE.
  
  
• DO NOT TRIM OR REMOVE A TREE WITH AN ACTIVE BIRD NEST, WITHIN 50 FEET OF A SONGBIRD NEST, OR WITHIN 500 FEET OF A RAPTOR NEST.

For questions, please contact Urban Forester, Carl Moritz at (310) 750-9813 or cmoritz@pvestates.org.