Newport Beach residents fight back against city's plan to remove eucalyptus tree home to Great blue herons
Newport Beach residents are calling for the city's plans to remove a tree which a large number of nesting Great blue herons call home.
The tree in question, an extremely old eucalyptus tree, sits behind the Newport Beach Public Library on the Balboa Peninsula. For years, it's acted as a popular spot for the herons during mating season.
"The males are bringing in the twigs to remodel and rebuild their home for their lady, you know, to attract their mate," said Debbie McGuire, Director of the Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center. "It is mating season, so that's why they're so active right now."
Though they've been a stable in the area year in and year out during winter, a number of planned changes have put their temporary refuge at risk.
"I hope not," said one resident. "It's a landmark."
"You can't just say, 'Good luck, birds,'" said Kathy Frazier, another resident who lives about a block away from the tree's location "No. The city needs to have a plan. They need to have a bigger plan than they have of just chopping the tree down and hoping the birds can hop around and find another place."
Frazier says that the city isn't following up on their promise to let locals voice their concerns with the planned project.
City officials say that the tree is slated for removal, as they redesign the library and expand the nearby fire station next door. The plan still doesn't have a starting date, but they say at the earliest it would be sometime next year.
They also say that the tree's insides are rotting, and that it would have to come down in the near future anyway.
"The tree would only be removed after the birding/nesting season," said a statement from Newport Beach City manager John Pope. "The remaining tree is being monitored for rot. Based on the current level of rot and expected progression, the tree only has an estimated 4-5 years before it would need to be removed for safety reasons."
They also say that at least eight new trees would be planted as part of the project's completion, making up for the loss of the tree. However, wildlife experts are calling for the construction of platforms that the herons can nest on instead.
