PG&E resumes tree cutting in California town that fought back. Activists aren’t giving up
Preservationists in Nevada City thought they’d won a landmark victory last month against PG&E Corp., securing a court ruling preventing California’s largest utility from chopping down hundreds of trees in their community to reduce wildfire risks.
Now PG&E has won a green light to resume cutting.
A Nevada County Superior Court judge reversed himself Friday, saying he didn’t have the authority to regulate Pacific Gas and Electric Co.’s tree-removal program in the Sierra foothills community. That “exclusive jurisdiction” belongs to the Public Utilities Commission, Judge Thomas Anderson wrote.
PG&E said Wednesday the ruling gives it the freedom to resume its tree-cutting program in Nevada City, part of a ramped-up effort by the company to reduce vegetation throughout its service territory that could lead to wildfires.
With the court’s new ruling, “PG&E’s tree crews will continue moving forward with the tree removals,” the company said.
“PG&E knows how much the customers and communities we serve value trees, and we do, too. But PG&E’s primary focus must remain on safety. ... PG&E cannot take calculated risks in these circumstances to preserve these trees. It must instead choose the no-risk option of removal.”
Preservationists in Nevada City, whose tree-lined streets help give the Gold Rush city its rustic charm, say they’re not ready to give up.
Matthew Osypowski, founder of a group called Save Nevada County Trees, said protesters met PG&E’s crews Monday at the city’s Pioneer Cemetery, where a century-old Blue Atlas Cedar was targeted for removal. Rather than get involved in a confrontation, the crew left, he said.
“Monday was a significant victory for us,” he said. “They didn’t know how to deal with our physical presence in the cemetery, so they left.”
PG&E, in its statement, said the company “will wait to conduct work on the Blue Atlas Cedar, allowing for an additional arborist report on the health of the tree.”
PG&E has been scrambling the past two years to trim or remove trees that could spark wildfires. Billions in liabilities from the 2017 wine country fires and 2018 Camp Fire drove the utility into bankruptcy.
The company emerged from bankruptcy this summer but faces potential liabilities of $600 million from last October’s Kincade Fire in Sonoma County, which investigators say was caused by faulty transmission equipment.
More recently, the utility disclosed that it’s being investigated by Cal Fire in connection with the Zogg Fire in Shasta County, which killed four people in September.
Meanwhile, wildfire risks persist; PG&E planned another “public safety power shutoff” late Wednesday as fierce winds lead to new fire hazards across much of Northern California, including portions of Nevada County. A map on PG&E’s website indicated the blackout was expected to miss Nevada City.
Nevada City residents say they agree with PG&E’s focus on reducing wildfire risks but say the company is going overboard with its tree-removal program. A total of 263 trees have been earmarked for removal.
This story was originally published October 14, 2020 at 1:15 PM with the headline "PG&E resumes tree cutting in California town that fought back. Activists aren’t giving up."