Urban Forest & Free Street Trees

The City of San Gabriel strongly encourages the preservation of the City's natural resources and has a strong Tree Preservation Ordinance for both public and private property trees.

City Owned Trees

The trees planted in between the sidewalk and curb are owned by the city. The city's urban forest is protected by the Street Tree Master Plan.

Free Street Tree for Residents

To enhance the city’s urban forest, the Public Works Department offers residents and encourages the planting of new trees. Every resident is allowed to request a City street tree to be planted in the parkway in front of their residence, if they do not currently have a tree in front of their property, to be planted by the City at no cost, as long as funding is available.

Residents must be willing to water their trees to make sure they survive while the tree gets established. The urban forest crew will go out and do all the routine pruning on the tree for the tree’s life span. How It Works Step 1: Step to see if there is a street tree planted in the parkway (that space between the sidewalk and the street) in front of your home Step 2: Call or visit the Public Works department to submit a request for a free street tree Step 3: Request will be reviewed by the Public Works department

Street Tree Planting Application
Complete this application to request that a tree be planted in front of your house or business. A fee is required to pay for the cost of any additional trees.

Street Tree Removal
If you want a tree removed, please print out this application, fill it out, and take a picture of the tree. Bring the application and the picture to City Hall in order to receive approval to remove the tree.

Water
Conservation

To strongly encourages water conservation in San Gabriel, City parks uses state-of-the-art irrigation controllers, replant areas with low water-consuming and drought-tolerant landscaping, as well as covering planters in recycled wood bark generated by the trees that are trimmed and maintained throughout the City to reduce evaporation, discouraging weed growth and promoting plant health.