Saratoga waives tree removal fees after eucalyptuses do $250,000 in storm damage

Councilmember says it's 'critical' for the trees to be replaced.

Saratoga residents will not have to pay the city to cut down blue gum eucalyptus trees for the next 2-1/2 months. The trees did about $250,000 in reported damage during last month’s storms.

Saratoga City Council voted April 5 to waive the $130 fee for blue gum eucalyptus tree removal through June 30 in the wake of the storm damage they caused to public and private property. Blue gum eucalyptus trees, which came to California from Australia, have shallow roots, and studies show they are more prone to falling.

The city, which has fairly strict protections in place for its trees, will still require applicants to replace any they remove. Council added the requirement after a couple residents voiced concern that replacement of the removed trees wasn’t guaranteed under the initial draft of the urgency ordinance pausing the permit fees.

RELATED: Why are so many Bay Area trees turning destructive and deadly in recent storms? The answer is years in the making

“The city’s incurred considerable damage from the falling trees in the storms, the vast majority of it from eucalyptus trees on city property and reports on private property,” Town Attorney Richard Taylor said.

Tree removal can cost tens of thousands of dollars, depending on a tree’s size and circumstance, staff said. Council hopes the removal of permit fees will incentivize residents to remove damaged or unstable trees on their property.

Saratoga’s award-winning tree canopy has shrunk after this turbulent winter, with dozens of trees damaged or downed. The steady stream of rain weakened soil stability in the area, and paired with the strong winds that swept through the region, eucalyptus trees were especially vulnerable to falling.

“I understand the safety challenges that we’ve suffered through, and safety does come first,” Councilmember Tina Walia said. “If we don’t replant trees, we’re going to be losing our tree canopy. … It is critical for trees to be replanted.”

Saratoga has been named a Tree City USA every year since 2006, a title that gives communities a four-step framework to maintain and grow their tree cover.

Falling trees killed five people in the Bay Area during the March 21-22 storm, and Saratoga staff say trees are in danger of falling until soils dry in May and winds decrease in June.