Simi Valley, California - Disqualified As "Tree City USA"

In April 2026, the City of Simi Valley accepted its 26th consecutive Tree City USA Award from the Arbor Day Foundation and CAL FIRE. Mayor Dee Dee Cavanaugh mentioned that she was once a member of the Tree Advisory Board, which last met in August 2010.

At the April 2026 meeting, the City Council unanimously approved the Oak Road South Development Project, a 60-unit condo project, which will destroy five protected native oaks, including the 350-year-old Heritage Oak.

In July 2026, the Simi Valley Planning Commission approved a fifty-eight-home development on East Cochran Street. By claiming that the development included enhanced open space elements, City Staff and the developer avoided seeking an amendment to the General Plan.

By calling it a “Cluster Development,” the Planning Commission unanimously approved a plan that contradicts both California State and Simi Valley open space laws. Acting as the Tree Advisory Board, the Planning Commission also approved removal of five protected trees.

In August 2026, the City Council approved the 364-home Lost Canyons Development Project. Prior to final approval, the developer was already busy destroying protected oak trees within Phase One of the project area.

If you plan to develop a property in Simi Valley, hire a licensed arborist to value the protected trees as depreciating assets. The older the tree, the lower its cash value will be. Any older tree can easily be classified as being in "poor condition." Then, pay a nominal fee for a Tree Removal Permit and replant the same number of trees you plan to annihilate.

Given a penchant for destroying both its neighborhoods and its arboreal heritage, the Simi Valley City Council should rescind its hypocritical Tree Preservation Ordinance and replace it with a simple fee structure. Whatever the value of a protected tree may be, the developer should pay ten times that amount. Only then might a developer think twice about destroying what little remains of a once beautiful Simi Valley, featuring an abundance of oaks and other majestic trees.

Email James McGillis