Eddy Laine points to a tree trimmed in December.

Bakersfield residents and environmental advocates walked through downtown Monday to raise concerns about the city’s tree trimming practices, saying excessive cutting was harming trees and wasting public money.

The walk was organized by the Sierra Club’s Kern-Kaweah Chapter and focused on recently trimmed and removed trees in the downtown area. Participants pointed to trees they said were heavily cut in mid-December, including on December 13 and 15.

The Sierra Club referenced guidance from the nonprofit TreePeople, which states that mature trees do not need regular pruning and should only be trimmed on an as-needed basis. The guidance warns that excessive pruning can weaken trees and cause unhealthy growth, recommending that only branches that are dead, diseased, damaged or rubbing against other branches be removed.

“This is not how you trim a tree,” said Eddy Laine with the Sierra Club. “Our tax money is going to this.”

Members of the Sierra Clubalso pointed to a follow-up letter sent to the Bakersfield City Council after the city approved additions to its Tree Plan. 

The additions included adopting Fresno’s Urban Forest Plan as a model and committing to planting one tree for every tree removed, with a focus on disadvantaged communities affected by extreme heat.

The letter called for a written tree trimming schedule that would limit trimming to once every six years, similar to Fresno’s policy, and preferably every 10 years. It also asked the city to pause trimming until such a plan was adopted and to limit trimming to periods when trees are dormant, consistent with national arborist standards.

Residents said those requests had not been implemented.

The Sierra Club said more than 2,200 trees were trimmed between July and September last year, including during bird breeding season, and at least 657 trees were removed during that period. 

Advocates said those removals triggered the city’s commitment to plant replacement trees, which they said had not yet occurred.

Participants also cited data from the city’s Sustainable Opportunities Advancing Resilience, or SOAR Bakersfield, plan, prepared by consulting firm Ascent. 

Maps included in the plan show that neighborhoods with lower tree canopy experience higher temperatures and greater heat-related health risks, particularly during summer months.

Members of the Sierra Club said Bakersfield’s practices did not align with Fresno’s Urban Forest Plan. 

The Sierra Club said they had asked the city to pause non-emergency tree trimming and instead use funds to plant new trees, but trimming continued.

“Fresno does not do this,” Laine said. “Those trees look like trees. They’re not butchered.”

Sharon Brielle, a Bakersfield resident of 24 years, said she had seen trees in her neighborhood decline after repeated heavy trimming.

“I’ve observed trees become ill and die because of excessive trimming,” Brielle said. “We’re asking the city to put a moratorium on tree trimming and create a better plan.”

Brielle said better tree care could improve air quality, provide shade and allow the city to invest in underserved neighborhoods with limited tree coverage.

She said the lack of shade downtown made the area less inviting, especially during extreme summer heat.

“It’s going to be over 110 degrees, and there’s not enough shade,” Brielle said. “That doesn’t encourage people to spend time downtown.”

Participants said they planned to continue urging city officials to adopt a trimming schedule and set long-term goals to increase Bakersfield’s tree canopy.

Residents participate in a Sierra Club–led walk through downtown Bakersfield to observe and discuss recent tree trimming practices.