All of us at Yosemite Pet Hospital were saddened by the news that our beautiful Valley Oak tree was condemned as a hazardous and unsafe tree.  The removal of this piece of heritage was a difficult and heartbreaking decision. 

In December 2006 a major limb from this tree fell, hitting the hospital and blocking the entrance to our lobby.  This limb was over 2ft in diameter and weighed thousands of pounds.  It did some damage to the building, and caused some scary moments for clients who had just entered the lobby.

The owners of the property called upon one of the areas most respected Arborist to evaluate the tree.  They obtained a certified inspection, analysis and report, which directed that the tree should be removed.  This was the last thing that anyone wanted to do.  The owners then called out 5 additional tree experts.  Each of these confirmed that the tree was a significant hazard and should be removed.  We also enlisted the advice from the City of Simi Valley on this, and they agreed with the findings of the Arborist. 

The problem was located at the fork of the main trunk where the limbs branched out and the main trunk continued upward to the canopy.  At this key point, a large cavity had formed where other major limbs had broken off in the past.  The experts stated that this damaged probably occurred some 30 years ago, and the cavity had been growing ever since due to expanding dry rot of the wood.  The cavity now extended completely through the trunk, throughout this fork area.  In addition, many of the major limbs had smaller cavities and dry rot in key areas throughout their lengths.  As a result, it was only a matter of time before the entire main canopy of the tree, and/or the major limbs branching out from this main fork would fall.  

The owners of the property investigated any possible alternatives, including performing significant reduction of the tree by extensive trimming.  However, each expert that examined the tree recommended against this action.  They advised that the liability of this tree falling, with a potential to damage buildings and presenting a significant potential for injury to pedestrians was too high.

Due to the danger involved with major branches falling off the tree, the proximity of the road into Phoenix Ranch School, the Power Lines, the traffic on Los Angeles Ave., and activities around Yosemite Pet Hospital, the tree was condemned and the permit was issued by the City to remove the tree.

We will miss this magnificent Valley Oak tree, and the beauty it added to our end of Simi Valley.  While nothing can ever truly replace the heritage of this majestic Oak, we will be replanting our Park with a large tree.  This is to help provide the many species of wildlife that called this oak tree home, with a chance to build a new home for themselves, and to help do our part to return some measure of natural beauty to this area.