Proposition E passed past November, and took affect last week. The city is now responsible for the care of street trees and the damage they do to sidewalks. What does it mean for residents? Read up at these links.

Frequently Asked Questions from Dept of Public Works about tree care and tree removal: http://sfpublicworks.org/services/proposition-e-street-tree-and-sidewalk-maintenance-frequently-asked-questions     

Recent article on Hoodline about illegal removals: http://hoodline.com/2017/06/public-works-threatens-fines-jail-time-for-illegal-tree-removal

Secondhand info from Nextdoor.com, FWIW:

“PROP E – TREE MAINTENANCE TRANSFER PLAN

DPW will follow the procedures in the Urban Forestry Ordinance and inspect all trees before transfer, to ensure they are healthy and properly pruned. Notices will be posted on trees and property owners will be notified by mail of the transfer plan. A tree care packet with information about how to properly care and maintain trees with pruning standards and details on how to request a public hearing will also be provided to property owners. Some property owners may be responsible for multiple trees adjacent to their property. Click here for FAQs.

The City officially takes responsibility of street trees beginning July 1, 2017. We will start with the worst first! The City is currently assessing the data from a recently completed street tree census. The pruning of street trees will be prioritized based on safety considerations, to correct structural flaws and to gain necessary clearances for overhead wires, traffic signs and signals, adjacent buildings and traffic flow. This is expected to take several years. Routine pruning of street trees is anticipated to begin in 2019.

For questions about your tree, property owners can email TreeCareTransfer@sfdpw.org, visit their site or call (415) 554 -7336″.