Letters to the editor

Regarding Mary Rose Kaczorowski’s recent letter about streets with no trees, a well-researched article, beginning with mention of five streets in Fort Bragg named for specific trees; followed by a startling revelation that the trees on those streets no longer stand; the streets are treeless.

We read about the State of California Endangered Species Act, California Rare Plant Rank 1B, and California Department of Fish and Game Code, pointing to required analysis and guidelines of plants threatened or endangered in California. The Monterey Cypress (Cupressus macrocarpa ) is within that category as critically Imperiled, at very high risk of extinction due to extreme rarity.

The Monterey Cypress trees standing tall on Cypress Street certainly are endangered and being considered for removal. City officials ought to join this community and make it the business to hear our voices in an open (safe) forum. It is essential to protect the precious Cypress trees from removal. Period!

The pandemic took us away for a while, but we are awakened and tuned in. Neighbors on Cypress Street, the people of Fort Bragg, must have a voice in decisions that affect our environment. To spread the word that we are watching and are speaking up for the majestic Monterey Cypress trees that grace our sky in a canopy of trees. The Cypress trees should NOT be removed. They were planted in the 1930s, are healthy, and have a long life left to live.

—Lydia Bernard, Fort Bragg