101 Oak Grove Near Kanan Will Have To Go, Caltrans Says
Written by 991KBU on July 3, 2019
There’s another casualty just emerging from the Woolsey Fire.
It’s a grove of oak trees … healthy trees … that has to be cut down or transplanted.
Caltrans says that an oak-grove next to the 101 Freeway … just west of Kanan Road … has to go.
It’s growing on a manmade slope next to the freeway … which is at risk of collapsing due to severe erosion from this winter’s above-normal rainfall … and the damage caused by the Woolsey Fire.
An emergency repair of the damaged hillside and drainage system will begin next Monday.
About 50 large- to medium-sized oak trees will have to be removed …as in .. cut down.
Caltrans planted the trees in the 1970s when the slope was constructed.
A Caltrans arborist will prepare a tree analysis and a nesting bird survey will be completed …before work begins.
Plans call for saving mature oak trees where possible … the saplings will be placed in temporary containers and replanted on the slope when work is completed.
And then other oak tress willbe added.
When the heavy earthmoving is finished … Caltrans will restore the right of way to its original condition.
The project is expected to take two months.
And there’s a lane closure included in this … it’s the exit lane to Kanan Road … coming from Thousand Oaks.