Altadena residents raise concerns over trees’ wellbeing amid SCE project – NBC Los Angeles

As Southern California Edison works to install underground utilities in high-risk areas as part of an ongoing wildfire mitigation project, some homeowners in Altadena worry the work may impact local trees.

In neighborhoods across Altadena, the utility company is moving overhead power lines underground, digging trenches that some homeowners worry could damage tree roots and slowly kill the trees over time. The trees they worry about are the ones that survived the Eaton Fire last year.

SCE’s Gorge Circuit project is aimed at protecting the electrical systems from extreme weather, especially high winds that could trigger outages or wildfires.

Rob Steller is among the concerned neighbors who want the utility company to reconsider where they dig. He says the proposed trenches could put hundreds of trees at risk, including oak trees, which are protected in Los Angeles County.

“So what we’re trying to do is get some of the existing placements moved to more reasonable locations and to force Edison to change their design cycle so this doesn’t happen on all the future undergrounding,” Steller said.

Nancy Robb, who also lives in Altadena, says after the devastation caused by the Eaton Fire, the trees that survived became a symbol of resilience and fears a project meant to improve safety could harm them.

“We just want to save our trees. We’ve lost so many of them,” Robb said. “Let us keep the few that we have.”

In response to neighborhood concerns, SCE said it aims to restore any disturbance that may be caused by the project.

“Crews may need to dig, trim or remove vegetation and trees to safely access electrical equipment. Once the project is complete, crews work to restore the area to its original condition,” the utility company said in a statement.

NBC4 also contacted the LA County Public Works department, which says it’s working closely with SCE to preserve and protect parkway trees and the urban forest in Altadena.