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Home-Page-CollageDid You Know?
  • All trees with a diameter of 12.1” when measured 4.5’ above grade are protected, unless otherwise specified in the exemptions section of the tree ordinance.
  • Heritage Trees are designated by the Board of Supervisors.
  • People living in neighborhoods with less than 10% tree canopy are more likely to
    report symptoms of depression, stress, and anxiety.
  • 100 mature trees can capture and store about 139,000 gallons of rainwater per
    year.
  • People are less likely to be hospitalized for asthma when they live in
    neighborhoods with many trees.

Tree Advice For All Seasons
Winter storms each year took their toll on many trees in Menlo Oaks–on trees of all sizes. Spring, Summer and Fall come with their own set of problems. Make sure your trees are well prepared to withstand the challenges ahead whatever the season. Here’s how.

Action Alerts & Updates
We continue to track several tree removal permits, demolition requests and zoning hearings. We also have filed complaints when developers and others have not provided adequate tree protection during zoning, demolition and construction. In 2016 the County enacted some changes to its oversight of Heritage Oaks and Significant Trees as summarized by the Almanac. Here’s a link to the San Mateo County Tree Ordinance.

tree_icons_rwMenlo Oaks Tree Advocacy Group
Several neighbors formed Menlo Oaks Tree Advocacy (MOTA) to communicate, educate and work with residents and the County on behalf of the significant old-growth and heritage trees in Menlo Oaks. Working with the Menlo Oaks neighborhood, we welcome your participation. Please contact us directly, or visit our neighborhood online message service, Menlo Oaks Voices, with your ideas and suggestions.  At Menlo Oaks Voices, we can have conversations about roads, schools, help wanted, services people want to share…..and trees and tree care.

Landscaping Around California Native Oaks
This downloadable PDF from the Santa Clara Chapter of the California Native Plant Society is worth viewing, particularly if you want to learn more about how to care for your Oaks. You will have to scroll through lots, but it’s worth it. You should also visit Canopy at
https://canopy.org/tree-info/ for tree care tips, professional resources, or to use the Tree Hotline!

 

tree_icons_pineWorking With The County
MOTA works with San Mateo County Planning & Building Department to improve and enforce the current regulations that prohibit destroying a significant tree unless it is diseased or a safety hazard. MOTA’s goal is to ensure that our trees receive the protection they need and deserve.

 

tree_icons_oakOur Trees As Assets
Our trees keep the neighborhood vibrant and property values high. They are part of our indigenous landscape and have grown in our neighborhood for many years – in some cases for centuries. Significant old-growth and heritage trees are well established and face far fewer dangers from the drought. Check out this interesting information about our trees as assets.

Recent Posts

Beware of Tree Scams

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Beware Of Tree Companies Hoping Scare You Into Removing Trees

This is a helpful reminder to all Menlo Oaks residents to be a wise and watchful consumer.  Recently we’ve heard of several tree companies and their arborists canvassing our neighborhood in an attempt to alarm homeowners of potential risks their larger trees might pose. This has included urging people to cut down their Heritage Oaks, Redwoods and other older trees.

After scaring them, these companies have their arborist look at the trees, issue a report saying the trees should be removed, and finally they sell them costly tree removal services that may be unnecessary. They particularly target older home owners, and they give a bad name to good tree companies and arborists. See our list of reputable ones on the Menlo Oaks Tree Advocacy (MOTA) site at www.menlooaks-mota.org/

These services can cost $5000-$10,000—just to remove a single tree, and in some cases removing a tree is ill-advised when pruning it, reducing the canopy or having an arborist feed it will take care of problems. Unfortunately, by the time you realize the tree was actually healthy on the inside, it’s too late because your “poorly formed”, “sick” or “at risk” tree is gone (all terms arborists use to support their opinions). It’s too late, and it will take hundreds of years to replace the tree you loved. 

Before you let any arborist tell you to remove a tree completely—or perform extensive and expensive pruning, explore some of these of options: 

  • Get a second opinion or a third—from an arborist, not the fellow who just happens to be in the neighborhood and knocked on your door. Check our list of arborists on the MOTA site.
  • Find out what the arborist recommends to revitalize or make the tree healthier.
  • Find out how many years the arborist thinks the tree can survive with good care.
  • If the tree or branch is near a high voltage (upper) power line, check with PG&E to see if it considers the tree or a branch as a danger. If it does, PG&E will handle the issue for free. 
  • An estimate to cut down a tree should be free. You should only pay if you receive a full arborist report in writing, not a skimpy report. The evaluation should include things such as a description of the tree including location, measurements, tree type and approximate age, a detailed explanation of the areas needing attention, a rating scale for the overall health of the tree, and options for revitalizing or saving the tree.

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  • Get a least one second opinion from another qualified, licensed arborist.
  • Always ask what can be done to rehabilitate the tree and save it if the initial proposal was to cut it down.
    Remember that if this is a Significant Tree or a Heritage Tree, pruning or tree removal by a homeowner requires a permit from San Mateo County – along with an arborist report and payment of a fee. There is a public posting, and notification is sent to nearby neighbors. Those who object to removing the tree can appeal it and also pay a fee to do so.

Remember, the trees in Menlo Oaks come in all sorts of fantastic and irregular shapes — shape is NOT an indicator of health.  Neither are holes and cavities or areas where the bark is irregular, but has probably healed itself. Old oaks frequently have holes, but that doesn’t mean they are dangerous or dying.  
Pruning, reducing the canopy, balancing the branches of a tree, cabling and applying treatments to its roots or injecting it with healthy vitamins can keep it alive for the enjoyment and benefit of all for many years.

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