Photo from petition website
The Kern-Kaweah Chapter of the Sierra Club has launched a petition called Save Bakersfield’s Urban Tree Canopy. According to the petition website, between July and September of 2025, the City of Bakersfield removed at least 657 street rests without a replacement budget, requirement, or restoration plan in place.
The petition states that the urban tree canopy covers around seven to nine percent of the city, compared to the state average of 14.5 percent. One reason for pushing for more tree coverage it that the loss of canopy disproportionately impacts disadvantaged neighborhoods in Central, East, and Southeast Bakersfield.
Trees also serve as protection against extreme heat, which, according to the California Environmental Protection Agency, impacts vulnerable groups, including children, the elderly, outdoor workers, those with chronic illnesses, and people who live in communities with limited access to shade, making them all at higher risk of dying from heat-related illnesses.
The petition calls on the Bakersfield City Council to:
- Adopt and implement the MIG Central City and Citywide Tree Plan
- Update municipal tree ordinances and contractor standards
- Require replacement planting for removed trees
- Establish measurable canopy expansion goals citywide
- Prioritize tree planting in disadvantaged neighborhoods
- Apply for CAL FIRE urban forestry grants
- Fund a sustainable tree maintenance and planting program
- Include enforceable urban canopy goals in the Bakersfield 2045 General Plan
At the time of this article, the petition has 294 signatures with a goal of 500 signatures.
One person commented on the petition, “It’s inhumane to not support tree growth and maintenance in this heat and polluted air. We have the most polluted air in the state! I’ve planted 9 trees on my 1/4 acre property. Water is not a big issue when you plant drought-tolerant trees like palo verde, mesquite, crape Myrtle, desert willow, pistachios, etc, etc. This needs to be addressed immediately.”
This is a part of an ongoing effort to plant more trees in Bakersfield and reduce those being cut. You can read more about these efforts here.
