CITY'S TREE ORDINANCE BRANCHING OUT.

Byline: Kerry Cavanaugh Staff Writer

The City Council passed a tougher native-tree ordinance Tuesday that bars property owners from cutting four kinds of trees without a permit.

The new tree law is among the strictest in Southern California because it applies to all property owners and requires protection for smaller trees.

Advocates said the new ordinance was needed to tighten the city's old oak-tree ordinance and protect other native trees threatened by development. Trees are a vital part of the city's infrastructure, council President Eric Garcetti explained.

``They improve our air quality, help control floods and conserve water and energy. They also raise our property values and contribute to a higher quality of life.''

But some residents complained that the new rules force homeowners to spend money and maneuver city bureaucracy if they want to cut down a tree in their backyard.

``Most people thought it was over governance. I can understand wanting to protect oak trees and other trees but this seems a little extreme,'' said Vincent Antonino of the Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council.

The trees covered by the new ordinance include: Southern California black walnuts, Western sycamores, California bays and oaks. Trees with a trunk diameter greater than 4 inches are protected - down from 8 inches under the old ordinance. You must plant two new trees for every one protected tree cut.

The ordinance takes effect in six weeks. Violators in the future will face misdemeanor charges for removing protected trees, which could bring a maximum $1,000 fine or six months in jail - though city officials said they'll reserve that penalty for the most egregious offenders.

Kerry Cavanaugh, [phone]

kerry.cavanaugh(at)dailynews.com