ROOTED IN CONTROVERSY OLD GLORY MAY NOT BE MOVED UNTIL WINTER.

Byline: Nicholas Grudin Staff Writer

VALENCIA - A centuries-old oak that became the center of attention for Los Angeles environmentalists last year has been awaiting relocation for months, but may not actually go until 2004.

The oak - coined Old Glory - gained renown last November when activist John Quigley perched in its branches for 72 days to protest its removal, which was ordered by the county for the expansion of Pico Canyon Road.

After weeks of standoff, developer John Laing Homes agreed to relocate the tree instead of chopping it down, but the transfer is proving to be delicate and costly.

``We'd like as much time as we can get to go beyond what is normal,'' said John Mote, of Senna Tree Company, the lead arborist working with Old Glory. ``Normally, you let the tree sit for 90 to 100 days after side-boxing.''

Ninety days is up, and Mote says that the tree is not yet ready for the move - nor will it be for quite some time.

Neatly packed into a 33-foot wide bottomless wooden box at Pico Canyon Road and Whispering Oaks Road, the ancient tree has survived having its root structure lopped off at the sides, which is conventionally the most stressful part of the process for a tree facing relocation.

Strangely, Mote said, Old Glory was relatively unaffected by the side-boxing and is currently extremely healthy.

But at 85-feet in diameter and one of the largest oaks ever to be relocated, and because of its location in a riverbed, Old Glory's deeper root structure could make Mote's next step more difficult.

``With any tree that grows in a river bed-type situation, there is a higher possibility of a greater number of bottom roots that you would find in most cases - that could be a reason for why the tree is doing so well,'' Mote said.

Mote worries that cutting the tree's bottom roots could be the most traumatic part of Old Glory's move.

The tree, which was side-boxed in April and is now held up by cables from all sides with its roots still intact beneath directly beneath it, is patrolled by three security guards 24 hours a day and surrounded by chain- linked fence.

The developer estimated that the move would cost the company $400,000, a figure that will grow with every day that arborists wait.

Nonetheless, Mote thinks that waiting until the winter, when the tree is dormant, will give Old Glory its best chance at survival.

``This is a great opportunity to allow the tree to heal and grow more roots from where the sides were cut,'' Mote said. ``If we can have a year or more, then all the better.''

Quigley, who has been kept in the dark about the timing of the move, is hopeful that any delay will extend the window of opportunity for avoiding the move altogether.

``We have consistently stated that we feel the best option for the tree to survive is for it to remain where it has stood for hundreds of years - the longer it stays where it is, there's a possibility that another solution could be found,'' Quigley said.

Quigley and the Santa Clarita Organization for Planning the Environment have pushed for a plan that would have Pico Canyon Road wind around the tree.

Bill Rattazzi, president of John Laing Homes, would not speculate on the timing of the move, but said that this summer is unlikely.

John Laing Homes is suing Quigley for damages caused when the activist trespassed onto Laing property for his stay in the tree. The trial date is set for Dec. 10.

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Photo:

(ran in SAC edition only) The Stevenson Ranch oak known as Old Glory sits in the box built around its roots, awaiting a move to its new location after hundreds of years. That move may not happen until winter.

David R. Crane/Staff Photographer