The Sacramento City Council on Nov. 28 voted to remove 51 healthy trees as part of the Convention Center Complex Project, also known as the C3 Project. The City will replace those trees with 80 new trees as part of the construction on the campus, which includes the Memorial Auditorium, the Community Center Theater and the Convention Center.
The trees are being removed due to underground utility replacement, expanded footprint of the Convention Center and failing health of certain trees, project managers said.
Per the City’s tree policy, the value of a tree is measured by its diameter. For a private development, the City requires developers to replace any trees that are removed with trees that equal the size to the diameter lost. For the City, this means:
- 51 existing trees have a combined diameter of 679 inches
- 80 replacement trees are young, so the replacement total only equals 216 inches
- This leaves a shortage of 463 inches
With the C3 Project, the City is holding itself to the same standards as private developers. For every inch a private developer doesn’t replace in tree diameter, they are required to pay into a tree fund.
Following a motion from Councilmember Steve Hansen, the City will pay a total of $150,000 toward planting additional trees throughout the city and will work with the community and non-profit organizations on sustaining the City’s tree canopy.
As discussed at the Council meeting, a staff report originally stated that 96 trees would be removed. Kevin Hocker, the City’s arborist and urban forester, explained to Council members that 45 of those trees were identified as either unhealthy, dead or considered larger shrubs, bringing the number to 51. Here’s how it breaks down:
