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A woman upset by the apparent violation of a city agreement to save eight New Zealand pine trees in front of the Central Library, halted the destruction of their concrete planter boxes and several remaining stumps Tuesday. 

When Berkeley resident Debbie Moore heard from a friend that the trees had been cut down she immediately went to the library and climbed into a 3-foot high concrete planter box on Shattuck Avenue near Kittredge Street where she had been arrested in November 1999 during a protest to save the trees. 

“I felt utter despair when I heard,” Moore said. “I felt really threatened by the fact that the city would come in and destroy these trees after they made a contract to save them.” 

Public Works engineer Sam Lee, who is in charge of the Shattuck Avenue Redevelopment Project, said the trees were deemed un-savable by Jerry Koch, who heads the city’s forestry division. Lee said Koch ordered the destruction of the trees and their planter boxes. The trees were cut down Tuesday morning by a work crew from Bauman Landscaping Co.  

The planter boxes were not demolished. 

Koch did not return calls to the Daily Planet before press time to respond to questions on the specifics of why the trees could not be saved. 

During the planning process for the Shattuck Avenue Redevelopment Project in 1998, there was a proposal to remove nearly all of the trees along Shattuck from University Avenue to Dwight Way. A protest, known as the Lorax Protest, ensued and the City Council ultimately adopted a compromise in which certain trees would not be cut down.  

The protest was named Lorax after a 1971 Dr. Seuss book “The Lorax.” 

Berkeley librarian Elizabeth Overmyer, said the story is about a cranky tree-Nome type character who tries to alert the world that the expansion of capitalism will result in the deforestation of the planet. 

The Parks and Waterfront and Planning departments determined which trees would be saved and which destroyed according to the health of individual trees and how their presence affected the redevelopment project. 

Assistant City Manager Michael Caplan said the list of trees to be saved was contained on what was known as the “dot map.” He did not have the map in his possession and the Daily Planet was unable to review a copy of it before press time. 

Councilmember Dona Spring said the eight trees in front of the Central Library were included among those to be saved. “There’s no doubt about it, those trees were to be moved and not killed,” Spring said. “It’s very upsetting that agreements and contracts are broken and there’s no accountability in the city of Berkeley.” 

Moore spent the morning and afternoon foiling the attempts of the work crew to jack hammer the planter boxes by moving from planter box to planter box.  

Moore said the foreman of the work crew asked police to arrest her but they refused because the containers are considered public property.  

Moore said she would remain in the planter box to make sure the work crew did not destroy the tree roots. “I know it’s not very pretty now, but this stump can be planted in People’s Park and it will still grow,” she said.  

The foreman of the work crew, which cut down the trees refused to give his name or comment as did the owner of the Richmond-based landscape company. 

The planter boxes were not demolished. 

Koch did not return calls to the Daily Planet before press time to respond to questions on the specifics of why the trees could not be saved. 

During the planning process for the Shattuck Avenue Redevelopment Project in 1998, there was a proposal to remove nearly all of the trees along Shattuck from University Avenue to Dwight Way. A protest, known as the Lorax Protest, ensued and the City Council ultimately adopted a compromise in which certain trees would not be cut down.  

The protest was named Lorax after a 1971 Dr. Seuss book “The Lorax.” 

Berkeley librarian Elizabeth Overmyer, said the story is about a cranky tree-Nome type character who tries to alert the world that the expansion of capitalism will result in the deforestation of the planet. 

The Parks and Waterfront and Planning departments determined which trees would be saved and which destroyed according to the health of individual trees and how their presence affected the redevelopment project. 

Assistant City Manager Michael Caplan said the list of trees to be saved was contained on what was known as the “dot map.” He did not have the map in his possession and the Daily Planet was unable to review a copy of it before press time. 

Councilmember Dona Spring said the eight trees in front of the Central Library were included among those to be saved. “There’s no doubt about it, those trees were to be moved and not killed,” Spring said.  

“It’s very upsetting that agreements and contracts are broken and there’s no accountability in the city of Berkeley.” 

Moore spent the morning and afternoon foiling the attempts of the work crew to jack hammer the planter boxes by moving from planter box to planter box.  

Moore said the foreman of the work crew asked police to arrest her but they refused because the containers are considered public property.  

Moore said she would remain in the planter box to make sure the work crew did not destroy the tree roots. “I know it’s not very pretty now, but this stump can be planted in People’s Park and it will still grow,” she said.  

The foreman of the work crew, which cut down the trees refused to give his name or comment as did the owner of the Richmond-based landscape company.