Whittier is proudly known for its robust tree canopy. As the City works to responsibly sustain its urban forest, protecting public safety and stewarding taxpayer resources remain top priorities. This page provides updates and information about Whittier’s efforts to manage and preserve community Trees.

Whittier has been recognized as a Tree City USA since 1984, reflecting the City’s long-standing commitment to urban forestry. In 1996, the City adopted the Parkway Tree Manual, which established procedures for planting, maintaining, and removing parkway trees. Over time, these procedures have made it difficult to address safety hazards efficiently.

Due to rising safety incidents and insurance liabilities related to trees, the City Council temporarily suspended the manual in October 2025 while developing a new Urban Forest Management Plan, guided by an Environmental Impact Report. This process will help ensure the long-term health, safety, and sustainability of Whittier’s urban forest.

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Environmental Impact Report and Urban Forest Management Plan

The Environmental Impact Report provides the necessary foundation for the Urban Forest Management Plan. This report includes a comprehensive analysis of environmental impacts to Whittier’s tree canopy, identifies potential harm to natural and human resources, and proposes ways to minimize or avoid negative impacts. Once the report is complete, Whittier residents will have an opportunity to review the report and provide public feedback before it is finalized. The EIR will inform the final processes and procedures within the City’s new Urban Forest Management Plan.

The Urban Forest Management Plan will formalize the procedures necessary to ensure public safety, optimize fiscal resiliency, and guarantee the long-term viability and sustainable development of the city's urban canopy. Unlike the current suspended Parkway Tree Manual, the UFMP is designed as a strategic and adaptive plan, enabling the City to respond quickly to new tree diseases and insect problems, such as beetles that damage oak trees and mildew that affects Ficus trees in the greater Los Angeles area.

Background and History

Adoption of Parkway Tree Manual

14 years after the City was designated a Tree City USA, the City of Whittier adopted the Parkway Tree Manual (PTM), a procedural document that applied restrictive regulations around tree removal. While not a requirement for Tree City USA status, the PTM was adopted as a procedural response to community feedback.

Rather than functioning as a strategic framework, the Parkway Tree Manual has gradually become a more procedural document. In its current form, some of its requirements can make it more difficult to respond efficiently to routine and emerging tree management needs. For example, it suggests hardscape damage may justify tree removal as a last resort, yet explicitly lists 'hardscape' as an invalid reason for tree removal elsewhere. This can require staff to spend additional time evaluating multiple alternatives before moving forward with practical solutions, which may delay timely action on safety-related concerns.

Any replacement or repair work for a sidewalk, driveway, gutter or curb within 4 feet of a tree requires a tree impact assessment. The assessment determines what level of action is required to fix the issue while also protecting the tree. If the hazard can be mitigated by a temporary patch, the City will defer construction. However, if a more definite solution is required, the manual requires the City to consider all of the following solutions before tree removal:

• Narrowing or offsetting paved right-of-way
• Relocation of paved right-of-way to private property
• Ramping the paved right-of-way over the roots of the tree

If none of the solutions can be implemented and tree removal is imminent, the City must replant with a 15-gallon replacement tree.

Tree Hazards, Public Safety Impacts and Insurance Liabilities

In recent years, the City of Whittier has faced growing challenges regarding the safety of shared outdoor spaces. A substantial increase in reports of injuries caused by falling branches and trees, including a deeply tragic fatality, has made it clear that the current state of our parkway trees poses a significant risk to the public. These incidents represent a primary safety concern, with tree-related claims now occurring more frequently than other typical municipal liability categories.

Due to the heightened risk, the City’s insurance costs increased by $1 million in a single year, and over the last two years, a high volume of claims has led to significant litigation expenses funded by taxpayer dollars. Currently, Whittier participates in the California Insurance Pool Authority (CIPA), a collaborative insurance pool shared by 13 municipal agencies. However, Whittier’s losses now account for 43% of all claims within this entire group. This disproportionate share of liability highlights the urgent need for a more strategic approach to tree management.

Emergency Ordinance on Parkway Tree Manual

Due to rising public safety hazards and liability from overgrown trees, the City of Whittier passed an emergency ordinance (Urgency Ordinance No. 3171) through a supermajority vote by City Council on October 28, 2025. The emergency ordinance temporarily suspended the City’s Parkway Tree Manual until June 30, 2026. This suspension removed the manual’s required 30-day public notice and appeal process for tree removal and arborist evaluation. After the ordinance was put into effect, the City has only removed 32 of the 22,000 trees that are currently within City limits.

On November 25, 2025, the City received a notice from the California Insurance Pool Authority (CIPA) stating that the 6-month intermediate suspension of the tree manual was not sufficient to reduce future risk and liability. The notice recommended that the City permanently eliminate the Parkway Tree Manual. Failure to permanently eliminate would require the Board of Directors to review possible termination of Whittier's participation in the insurance pool, placing the City in dire financial and public safety risk.

On March 10, 2026, City Council authorized an extension of the emergency ordinance through January 1, 2028, and directed staff to begin formal policy review and environmental studies to replace the PTM with an Urban Forest Management Plan.

Stay Involved

The City of Whittier is committed to transparency and community engagement as it develops the new Urban Forest Management Plan. We encourage all residents to stay informed and get involved.

Upcoming Events

Throughout the month of September, the City of Whittier is hosting Whittier Tree Community Workshops in each district. Find out which meeting is in your district and join us to learn more about the UFMP process and ask your questions.

District 4 Community Workshop:
When: September 17 at 6:00 p.m.
Where: Ocean View Elementary School
14359 2nd St.

District 1 Community Workshop:
When: September 29 at 6:00 p.m.
Where: Evergreen Elementary School
12915 Helmer Dr.

District 3 Community Workshop:
When: September 30 at 6:00 p.m.
Where: Whittwood Branch Library
10537 Santa Gertrudes Ave.

District 2 Community Workshop:
When: October 1 at 6:00 p.m.
Where: Palm Park
5703 Palm Ave.

FAQs

Notable Documents

Linked below are important documents surrounding the emergency ordinance and Urban Forest Management Plan process.

• Staff Report: Ordinance Temporarily Suspending Application Of The Parkway Tree Manual
• Ordinance No. 3171
• Ordinance No. 3172
• Staff Report: Amendment No. 1 to Agreement No. A26-004 - Urban Forest Management Plan
• Resolution No. 2026-13
• Amendment No. 1 To Agreement No. A26-004
• Parkway Tree Manual (2016)