Acterra: 'Magnifique' had to go Acterra: 'Magnifique' had to go (April 28, 2004)

Environmentalists say stately tree a danger to Arastradero Preserve @byby Sue Dremann
Stung by accusations that it needlessly killed a large eucalyptus tree on the Arastradero preserve, Acterra said the action was necessary to maintain the land's sanctity.

"If it's invasive, it needs to go. If it's non-native but not invasive, it's OK but we need to keep an eye on it - that's the basic thought process," said David "Tex" Houston, chief steward of the preserve.

Acterra killed the eucalyptus by "girdling," or cutting wedges around the tree to starve it. It remains on the land as a snag, creating habitat for wildlife. The act was protested by hiker Bonnie Berg, who often meditates under the tree and even named it "Magnifique."

"I was absolutely dumbfounded. It tore my heart out," she told the Weekly last week.

Houston, however, said the act was consistent with Acterra's stewardship of the land. "We've removed 150 and 250 eucalyptus trees," Houston said angrily. "Where was she then?"

"Magnifique" is the last eucalyptus left in the interior of the preserve. Acterra's goal is to restore the area's plant community to its pre-Gold Rush status. The plan is in keeping with the organization's stewardship agreement with the City of Palo Alto, to restore the area's native plants.

Eucalyptus is a problematic tree for a number of reasons. Imported from Australia as a potential cash crop during the Gold Rush, its high flammability contributed to the Oakland Hills fire. Locally, eucalyptus fed the Bressler fire in the 1980s, which burned close to 100 acres before it was brought under control.

Eucalyptus trees also exude a sticky sap that gums up the beaks of songbirds, although it is also one of the few flowering trees in winter providing food to some hummingbirds and warblers, Craig Breon, executive director of the Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society wrote in an e-mail. Two bluebird nests reside in "Magnifique."

Because of its invasiveness, Houston said leaving the stately 100-foot tree alive would do a disservice to the preserve: Eucalyptus leaves emit chemicals that inhibit the growth of many other plants.

"If you want a good idea of what the trees can do, drive down Arastradero Road past Portola Pastures. You'll see nothing else growing there -- just eucalyptus and some poison oak. Eventually, [the preserve] would be just a grove of eucalyptus."

Although it is beautiful, Houston said "it doesn't belong in a nature preserve. From a botanical and scientific perspective, it's the reality of the eucalyptus tree."

E-mail Staff Writer Sue Dremann at sdremann@paweekly.com.

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