Tree Maintenance and Urban Forest Service Schedule

The City of South Gate has an urban forest with over 17,500 trees located on public streets, municipal facilities, and municipal parks.  An estimated 15,900 trees line the City’s streets with a variety of tree species. 

Trees provide numerous benefits.  Trees lower the temperature in urban areas by the shade created by their canopies. Cooler temperature help save on cooling costs lowering energy bills.  Trees provide for a community identity and create an enjoyable outdoor experience. It is more appealing to do errands on foot or meet outside under the shade of a mature tree than to walk through shimmering hot concrete. Trees are aesthetically pleasing and have variations in color, texture, and height.  Trees promote regional biodiversity by providing a sanctuary for birds, and butterflies.  Trees improve air quality by reducing airborne particulates and absorbing pollutants from the air. A large healthy tree can remove 3.5 pounds of pollutants in one year.  Trees are fundamental tools in lowering atmospheric carbon dioxide and mitigating climate change.  Property values tend to increase as trees on a street mature.

The City of South Gate’s Public Works Department is responsible for preserving and protecting the community’s urban forest and promoting the health and safety of City trees.  The City currently contracts with United Pacific Services, Inc. (UPS) to provide maintenance on a 4-year cycle, meaning, all of the trees are trimmed once every 4 years, based on a trimming schedule that includes several City neighborhoods per year.   To view the tree trimming schedule and map to see when trees in your neighborhood will be trimmed, please click here: (PDF, 1MB).  When UPS performs work that is a part of the annual tree trimming cycle, tree trimming and maintenance will be done on all of the trees within the scheduled neighborhoods.  However, UPS is also providing tree maintenance on an as-needed or emergency basis, such as to remove or trim a tree on an emergency basis to mitigate a risk.  Such work is scheduled citywide based on request or based on the City’s Priority Tree Maintenance Program.  When such work is performed, the work conducted is limited to the tree(s) required to be addressed.  For these services, you will notice that UPS will not perform tree maintenance on all of the trees in the same neighborhood, and only limit their efforts to the priority trees.  

The City’s municipal code has a policy that provides for the preservation of trees.  Trees may not be removed unless they meet established removal criteria such as a diseased tree, damaged that it is no longer viable, in danger of falling and creates a potential safety hazard.  To review the City tree preservation policy, please click here.(PDF, 7MB)  

The City has a Street Tree Masterplan to provide for the needs of neighborhoods.  The master plan provides for the management of the future growth of the urban forest by setting goals and objectives, allowable tree species, and setting guidelines.  The tree species were selected with resident input.  To review the Street Tree Master plan, please click here.(PDF, 13MB)

 

The Do's and Dont's of How to Properly Maintain a Tree in The Parkway.

 

Do: 

• For tree maintenance services, please contact the City of South Gate, Department of Public Works at (323) 563-5785 during normal business hours (Monday - Thursday, 6:30 am to 5:00 pm).
• To report emergencies after-hours, such as hanging or broken limbs, or trees that have fallen in the public right-of-way, contact the City of South Gate, Police Department at (323) 563-5436.
• Obtain an encroachment permit from the City to plant or trim a tree.
• Maintain the sidewalk area in and around trees clearing leaves and tree dropping. 

Don’t:

• Prune/trim a tree without City approval. 
• Prune/trim within 10 feet of a utility conductor - leave it to the experts.
• Climb a tree to prune it.
• Place barriers around a tree such as blocks, fencing, wood panels, etc.