[Update] Weighing the Choices: Balancing Safety and Redwood Preservation in Lower Redway
A redwood tree stands close to a residence in Lower Redway, where hazard-based tree removal is concerning neighbors who want to preserve the area’s large, old trees. [Photo by Lisa Music]
UPDATE: After publication, Humboldt County Planning Director John Ford clarified that the County did not issue any permits for the tree removal. According to Ford, “The Q Zone is…superseded by a CalFire authorization to remove trees.” He explained that when Cal Fire issues a Timber Harvest Plan or an applicable exemption, County zoning regulations — including the Q Zone — do not apply. The County therefore had no permitting role in this removal.
—————-
Large old redwood trees are being removed this week on a residential property at the corner of Briceland Road and Oakridge Drive in Lower Redway. Neighbors say they are concerned about how county zoning rules that protect redwoods were applied to allow the work.
A large redwood stands near a home in Lower Redway prior to removal, with surrounding forest visible in the background [Photo by Fredi the Tree Guy]
The ordinance allows limited exceptions, including emergency or hazard-related approvals, but requires findings that immediate action is necessary and that the work is consistent with county planning regulations.
A large redwood stands near a home in Lower Redway prior to removal, with surrounding forest visible in the background. [Photo by Lisa Music]
Homeowner Robert Scarlett*, a Cal Fire employee who has lived across the street from the property for much of his 25 years, said the removal is being done under a hazard-tree exemption approved by Cal Fire and county authorities. He recently purchased the piece in question across from his home for his mother to live in. He said that large limbs have fallen and damaged the house so he decided to seek the exemption that would allow him to remove what he believes are dangerous hazards.
A branch that speared into the ground recently is shown in the foreground. [Photo by Lisa Music]
Scarlett said he plans for his mother to live in the home and wants to make sure it is safe by removing what he considers hazardous trees. “So that way nobody gets hurt and it doesn’t pose a threat anymore to the structure or any life.”
Heavy machinery is positioned among redwoods during tree removal work at the residential property in Lower Redway. [Photo by Fredi the Tree Guy]
In addition he told us, “In my lifetime, I’ve seen four [redwood branches] that have gone through this roof.” He said that back in 2012, two vehicles were also damaged by falling limbs.
A worker cuts into the base of a large redwood tree near a residence in Lower Redway as heavy equipment is staged nearby. [Photo by Fredi the Tree Guy]
Scarlett said he does not intend to remove all redwoods on the parcel, only those he believes pose a direct threat to the structure and its occupants.
Several people gathered near the site during the work. One observer, a licensed arborist from Oregon known as Fredi the Tree Guy, who came after hearing about the tree removal on KMUD, said the trees marked for removal appeared healthy and showed no obvious signs of disease or infestation. Several trees he believes, could be quite old.
“The larger ones are anywhere from several hundred to up to 1,800 years old,” he said. “And I could tell you exactly how old they were once they make the final cut on that majestic, beautiful tree over there.”
Fredi the Tree Guy argued that trees marked for removal didn’t have “anything wrong–They’re not too close together. They’re not occluded. I don’t see any outer canopy die back. They’re healthy and they’re thriving… .”
He went onto give the opinion that “there’s so many other trees in proximity in this recent storm with the winds blowing, it’s not going to give him any type of safety at all.”
He said, in his experience, hazard mitigation can sometimes involve pruning or selective limb removal rather than cutting down entire trees, though he acknowledged that living among redwoods carries inherent risks and that storm-driven limbs can travel long distances.
A climber works high in the canopy of a redwood tree slated for removal during hazard-tree operations in Lower Redway. [Photo by Fredi the Tree Guy]
Neighbors also expressed concern to us about the broader effects of allowing hazard-based removal of large redwoods. Some said they worry that similar exemptions could be sought on nearby properties, which could lead to the loss of more trees in the Lower Redway area. They pointed out that old growth redwood is quite valuable and if harvesting the trees was an option, people might denude the properties in the area of the town known for its beautiful grove that many people enjoy walking, driving through and where a number of residents swim at nearby Redway Beach.
A redwood tree shows a cut around its base as part of the removal process underway in Lower Redway. [Photo by Fredi the Tree Guy]
Redheaded Blackbelt submitted questions to the Humboldt County Planning Department about the permitting process associated with this work late tonight just before publication. The Department had not yet had an opportunity to respond.
*Disclosure: In the interest of transparency, Redheaded Blackbelt notes that the homeowner as well as some of the neighbors who are concerned are known to us through prior community and personal connections.
Join the discussion! For rules visit: https://kymkemp.com/commenting-rules
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Looks like Robert pulled some strings with his buddies at Cal Fire and the county in order to get those permits. The average Joe would have been laughed at.
Kym, what does the asterisk after the first mention of Robert Scarlett’s name signify? Usually that’s associated with a note at the end. Is that what the ‘Disclosure’ is for?
He did everything the right way! Keep speculating.
So angry!
You sound like a mom protecting her son.
Why don’t you tell us how you’re related to Bobby.
The asterisk at the Disclosure must have been accidently deleted during editing. Yes, that is what the first asterisk is supposed to direct you to.
👍🏼
I use to live on Oakridge. The redwoods are so close to the house. Seriously dangerous. Seriously beautiful. A man died down the street when a widow maker went through his bedroom ceiling and killed him in his bed, with his wife next to him. I’ll never forget that. In Melody Trailer Park a woman was killed when a large redwood tree fell on her trailer.
It’s the choices we make about where we live.
I think the trees should be left alone because that’s the risk you take living in them. You don’t want to live in the redwoods, you move. I did. You don’t cut them all down.
I have no idea how he managed to get the permits for this? Definitely had some connections. I hate to see how this is going to affect the rest of the people on those properties who want to make a quick buck. Still not sure how this guy managed the permits. If he didn’t get the right assessments done on those trees prior to cutting them down, there could be some problems.
Trees that are on your property that are a definite threat to your life and property should be left to the property owner’s decision. In this guy’s case, it’s obviously warranted.
So you’re saying the house was there before the trees?
A totally irrational criteria for anything. And way, way, way too late anyway.
If you’re afraid of a tree coming down on your house don’t buy a house that has trees around it…plus if you start clearing trees it opens the area up for more wind which causes more trees/limbs to fall. This then starts to affect your neighbors trees, eventually all the trees are cut down.
As a former Refway Firefighter, wow, do I have history in lower Redway. There was a piano teacher by the name of Helen Mallory that lived on Forest Lane. She was in a wheelchair and had to be evacuated every windstorm. One time that that we evacuated her she had multiple Redwood limbs through the roof, through the ceiling and floor. We didn’t check how far through the floor they went. Redwood limbs are huge and they come down like arrows.
She was terrified. We were also terrified, but we did a good job of faking the brave firefighter image.
The Redway Fire department was down there when several huge redwoods blew down on multiple houses. One lady was found holding her baby standing in a doorway with a tree both sides of her. She said that she read that the safest place to be was in a doorway… nobody told her she was just lucky.
One windstorm, a house was just north of the Brass Rail, two trees fell on it. A lady was sitting on her couch in front of the fireplace holding her dog. The fireplace diverted the trees both sides of her.
A was also at the Melody Trailer park where the lady was killed by a tree. We had to leave her there to go on with other rescues. Sad, sad, sad.
I could go on and on, needless to say I HATE WIND!
I hate the wind too.. It’s terrible if you have a long beard.
LOL..
The tree at Melody that killed the woman was a fir. There was a line of big trees along the property line of the AEE building and Melody. The sale of the old growth at the lower Redway property will pay for the sale. Another property, south of Briceland Rd. was fined and found to have violated the Q Zone for cutting a Redwood on his property. I would like to see the documentation that other, less drastic mitigation measures, like limbing, were considered before the permit was issued.
I knew it was a fir. I also hated leaving the poor lady there for others to saw out. If you were there you know how bad the wind was and the need for other rescues.
I feel sad for you, walking around every day with all that hate must be exhausting.
The tree in the first picture, to the left of the house, is definitely a safety concern, being a schoolmarm, which is a co-dominant tree. Just the limbs in the tree that the climbers in would be enough to ruin your day. You should have the right to remove trees that are endangering your property and life. The one thing the tree guy from Oregon said is true. You can cut windows in conifers by cutting alternate limbs that can help remove the sail when the wind blows without ruining the aesthetics or endangering the tree.
Reducing wind pressure on the whole tree is fine but it won’t stop individual limbs from coming off. In fact it might make it more likely as remaining limbs will be more exposed to the wind. And I’ve seen individual limbs of much smaller redwoods drive themselves feet into into the ground.
Reading comprehension is good indicator of intelligence. At least try it before commenting.
Of course it won’t stop limbs from falling .The creating of windows for wind is just an option for people deciding how to alleviate some danger
without removing .I’ve seen enough over the years that I wouldn’t want them over my house but it should be up to the owner.A couple trees,redwood or not aren’t worth dying over.
The two trees in front of the house do not appear to be stump sprouts and considering their apparent age, are well rooted into the earth. They do not appear to be co-dominant stems and have adequate space between the trunks. Regarding the assertion that “you can cut windows” in the crowns to reduce sail, i would encourage you to read the latest science in tree biomechanics which would suggest otherwise. Trees put their branches exactly where they need to be in order to dampen the forces of wind. Thinning the crowns makes it worse by reducing the mass damping of the crowns. Trees are not stupid. Humans are stupid. Humans do not know what is best for trees. In the same way that removing branches from the middle of the crown makes a tree less safe in high wind so too does removing a large tree make the whole stand of adjacent trees less safe. The larger trees provide wind protection for the smaller trees. As we see from large-scale tree removal operations, whole tree failures increase after the larger trees are removed from stands. Branch drop is normal for a redwood. Putting a house directly under the crown of a large redwood is not advised. That big tree is worth more (monetarily and ecologically) than that house.
For an expert assessment of a tree or a stand of trees i suggest asking a physicist or an arborist with decades of experience or a non-professional who has lived in a forest for decades. Don’t ask calfire.
Don’t want to sound like a jerk, but maybe these folks should move. Just a thought.
People get a house with trees around it. Then they don’t want the trees to be there. Go figure…
One reason is a learning curve. At least for those capable of it. Then there are changing or conflicting needs. Then, while not so applicable in this case, trees keep on growing become dangerous where they weren’t previously, someone cuts the tree elsewhere and suddenly what was not so subject to wind is now repeatedly damaged by them, etc, small forested properties are frequently the least expensive thus affordable, etc.
I lived on Oakridge for five years.
My home had been smashed and rebuilt by a Fir Tree, and other homes were damaged by Fir trees during my tenure…
When it is raining hard, or when it snows and then rains, look out!
Redwood trees are dangerous, but a 1000 year old tree should be left alone…
One of my neighbors bought a repossessed home, next door to me, and proceeded to cut down every tree on the property, and then shimmied up his own old-growth redwoods and cut off all the branches, so that he would get “more light”…
It looked to me like the next thing to happen would be a bunch of new greenhouses, and I sold my place and moved away…
It is bullshit that the trees are protected, and the property pictured here lost a number of the old-growth trees, as it changed hands several times between 2012 and 2017…
Briceland Road is so busy there, and people drive through at high speeds, 24 hours a day…
Lower Redway probably used to look like heaven on earth, but, it just is being ruined by the succeeding owners who have to suffer high insurance costs and repair bills…
Leave the damn trees alone, and, if you are scared, move back to town…
I support the homeowner’s actions. He’s well aware that trees add value to residential properties. (I’d say about $2000 per tree). In my experience, it’s important not to top these beauties, which sets up the tree for disease and “Frankenstein” branching.
This guy gets it
That guy is incidentally going to make a ton of money from those trees. Once they become logs they turn into $$$$
That’s what my neighbor in Fort Bragg did.
Its a one time thing. Nobody will be alive when a similar one can be grown to a harvestable size unless you like pecker poles.
What a shame. We should be removing houses from that area not trees. The short sightedness of man never ceases to amaze me. How old are those trees? How old is that house? We have what, about 4% of the old growth redwoods that once were on this planet left. What is the value of that unattractive house on a busy corner? That house is far from special, but those trees are lost forever. The last of our planet’s giant redwoods are far more valuable than a moldy house. The trees are priceless. If you don’t like living under giant redwoods…… perhaps don’t buy a home under giant redwoods.
If you want to talk about the number of redwoods left on the planet over time it’s a much lower percentage left than 4. Redwoods once covered a lot of the country and petrified redwood is the proof.
This isn’t a political issue son. Please consider talking to someone about all this anger and confusion you are dealing with. All this anger is not good for the soul.
If you don’t like to live amongst the redwoods, perhaps choosing a different place to live makes more sense than killing something much older and grander than you can comprehend.
Living somewhere as beautiful as this has its costs. Life was always a gamble, and we all stay in Humboldt reguardless of the threat of fires, earthquakes, and other natural hazards.
I get wanting to protect your family and have them live close by, but I’m sure there are better solutions than cutting down ancient giants.
Pipe down over there
You sound angry. You could probably get your point across better if you didn’t attack people? The redwood tree vs. house concern has layers. Like…redwoods are shallow rooted and come down in wind-and they are taller than 100 feet. Also if these trees are old-growth then we are also discussing habitat for forest species…And…No need to be angry if you are correct!
This is NOT defensible space work. I see no limbs that could fall.
Stop lying. Youre gonna mill these logs for profit.
You already girdled them so theyd die, wtaf???? Evil. Ancient being torturer. I thought girdling of old growth was illegal.
Dont live there then. You knew the trees were there when you bought it.
Why does that tree company have a website thats not available? Who are they? Do they know the karma of cutting old growth? I met lots of old timers who.logged who never cut old growth. Anyone find a phone number for them?
You got an exemption because youre calfire, and folks calfires not just fire its the old CDF who gives these permits.
Can you say nepotism? You get to cut old growth for personal reasons. No one else got permits to cut there. And all that soils gonna wash out somewhere, you get to kill salmon in the river too!
We need humans out of forests especially near old growth.
Exactly why redwood trail should be a no go, people in forested areas think theyre more important than nature&destroy it, every time.
No more rural home building and no redwood trail are good places to start.
Lets kill 1000 year old trees so humans can live.
Ill make sure to blast my horn late at night everytime i drive by in honor of the ancient beings you are killing for your own means. I encourage all to do the same.
Youre killing an ancient being to protect a human who will die soon, sorry but its the truth.
.
Once upon a time… Redway was owned by the Pacific Lumber Company Summerhome Subdivision. It was a recreation area with a golf course, tennis courts, river swimming holes and camping spots. Building lots were sold and summer houses were built mostly by the fog bound wealthy people from northern Humboldt.
The ‘summer houses’ were just that. Only a fool would try to live under those redwood trees in the winter. The houses were for summer use only.
Just like every place else, Redway had it’s boom industry. The timber industry turned to Douglas Fir lumber production. A product that was in great abundance in southern Humboldt. Housing was needed year around and the summer homes became utilized.
Now we see the results.
Interesting, to what extent do you mean it was owned by PL and during which decades?
just down on the river or the whole town?
I hadn’t heard that mentioned before, curious to know more
Glad you asked: I AI searched it
Pacific Lumber Company Summerhome Subdivision. redway
The Pacific Lumber Company Summerhome Subdivision refers to an area in Redway, California, that the company developed into home sites around 1923. It featured a 9-hole golf course and established infrastructure like roads and a water supply.
Subdivision Details
For specific real estate or property information today, you would need to consult local Humboldt County real estate listings or planning records, as the original development company is defunct and the properties are now privately owned
https://www.google.com/search?q=Pacific+Lumber+Company+Summerhome+Subdivision.++redway&sca_esv=7968779fbfd70ae6&sxsrf=ANbL-n6zd72-_B1FtHHZ0xkcWWQIxYV82w%3A1767845792735&source=hp&ei=oC9faYenK6_LkPIPnZ_LkAw&iflsig=AFdpzrgAAAAAaV89sMXWrA-erH-4H1a8-0JVEUaS3HMY&aep=22&udm=50&ved=0ahUKEwiH9_fjivuRAxWvJUQIHZ3PEsIQteYPCBk&oq=&gs_lp=Egdnd3Mtd2l6IgBIAFAAWABwAHgAkAEAmAEAoAEAqgEAuAEByAEAmAIAoAIAmAMAkgcAoAcAsgcAuAcAwgcAyAcAgAgA&sclient=gws-wiz&mtid=ry9faZn4KMvJ0PEPxPOxqAs&mstk=AUtExfDBdzYsWLcBsaMX_NOZhw813ccUtS-FvLQypRX4d3ApNcABUy3_AOW9jzbs_KIDk-t8S1268q-11kV7FQclGNgg_DXIAF9LYaTgV5dxH_TKDyeEARe5aW4VXRyVwvAt71Jz-YEResN_em8tGgiy4zPDo8Ep5WaStW6hJZNCvhCKkUwMgl19mbNkyg-98D19EmQQwXmIOKV8wCLLbtJLzHBM5RWR8hwazVFX5u7_ags3vbk4g3X6E54vqmXcdisTHGN3NtrMFjNrz7hG7TGRRGl1otH3ky-JP2I&csuir=1
My grandparents had a home on the river and so did my great uncle’s, i want to say they were on Maple Lane. It was really used only in the Summer but I loved going there in the winter and watching the river rise. I felt safe because the house survived ’64. We had a huge fir tree in the side yard. I guess I was lucky, we never had a limb or a tree come down.
“Nepotism” is crazyyyy
Some trees and branches will eventually fall due to wind. It’s a given. One needs to question why are you living amongst the trees ? The more trees that are cut only creates less of a wind break. I live in a redwood forest in Kneeland and over the years have had my share of fallen trees and branches. I have a neighbor that bought 5 acres of dense trees of oak and redwood and out them all. It looks like a wasteland.
Hell in the name of safety let’s cut em all down. I hate when a big tree grows right next to my house
Same fr
The people that are so concerned what this guy is doing on his property should maybe pass the hat around and buy the house from the guy, then they could make a little park if they wanted. Everything is for sale at the right price.
Yeah like go join a tree club or something idk. Leave this Robert kid alone.
I want to live among these beautiful giants!
….proceeds to cut them down because branches are in the way.
Trump’s brownshirts just killed a woman in Minneapolis.
Why did she drive her car at ICE agents ? Maybe suicide using ICE.
Your question has no basis in fact, other than you are parroting the administration. Eyewitness statements and video of this incident show nothing of the sort.
Here I fixed it :
A woman in Minneapolis used her multi-ton vehicle to impede and threaten federal law enforcement and quickly found out about the parameters in use of deadly force.
The perspective of the threatened LEO is all that matters. And based on the availability history and circumstances of police-involved shootings people should really know better! Don’t be dumb behind the wheel and come after someone with a uniform AND a gun.
It’s ok to protest. But unfortunately the left have lost the plot, because crossing the line into obstruction and confrontation are not protected under A1.
FAFO.
pipe down
So instead of cutting all the limbs off, even the top of the tree, which I do not approve of, no we have to cut the whole damn tree?
What a dumb place to put a house. Poor trees.
Houses can be moved, too. There are a few Victorians around here that are not in the same places they were built. This residence is more like a shack sans wheels. Move it over some….oh….too late.
Wizard of Oz type shii
Please leave the Grandmother and Grandfather Giants! The puny fears of people can never be ended or overcome by struggling against External False causes. Your fear Mr. Robert Scarlett is entirely Interior and will remain. Indeed your fear will become stronger. Such a waste to kill these “scary” Ancient Giants.
Additionally there are almost no trees in the central valley, nevada, nebraska, kansas and many other places. Why not just move with your mom somewhere else? Please understand you won’t have to be scared of Ancient Old Growth Redwoods if you could please move to Texas!
We lived at Redway Beach for 18 years among many very large redwoods and firs. We considered ourselves to be stewards of the beautiful property. To ward against falling limbs we had a tree service inspect all trees close to structures every 2-3 years and remove any potentially hazardous limbs. This worked well but you’re always at risk. We would never have removed a tree unless it was obviously falling and certain to cause serious damage.
I cant believe im reading this.. you must be an amazing neighbor.
He’s the best fr
So this person got an exemption. Cal Fire Insider/ now he wants neighbors trees gone, also they can fall and reach his house. Both sides of the road are his. He lives in that swamped out piece of property. Notice the chain link fence around the weeping water on his property. That shop is also too close to the property line. You can see all this as you head down the hill
”Cal Fire insider” he says
This is BS!!! 😡😡😡😡
No permits filed!?!
Yeah because he will pay the fines later with the money he makes from the trees!! This is unacceptable!!!!
Everyone local better black list this dude from everything and force him out of town!! This is UNACCEPTABLE!!!
Old-growth forests should be protected—period. There should be no qualifiers, no loopholes, and no performative hand-wringing to justify their destruction. If someone chooses to live in a forested region like Humboldt County, they also choose to live with the realities of that environment. Hundreds of us do it every day without demanding that irreplaceable ecosystems be sacrificed for our convenience. If safety is truly the concern, then the solution is better planning, better construction, and better stewardship—not clear-cutting history.
Let’s be honest about what this really is. Claims of “risk” are too often a thinly veiled excuse for profit. Anyone even remotely familiar with the timber market knows the value of these trees. Old growth fetches a staggering price, and even younger trees are now worth cutting. To pretend this debate is purely about public safety insults the intelligence of the community.
If there are genuinely hazardous trees—smaller, second-growth specimens that pose an immediate threat—address those specifically and responsibly. But old-growth trees are not disposable obstacles; they are protected for a reason. They cannot be replaced in our lifetimes or our children’s. Once they’re gone, they’re gone.
The fact that we are still debating whether old growth should be left standing is absurd. These forests are ecological treasures, climate stabilizers, and living records of time itself. There are no “ifs,” “ands,” or “buts” about it: if it’s old growth, you leave it alone.
Anything less is not compromise—it’s exploitation.
Permits were filed! Learn to read pal
Good morning, I am Fredi the Tree Guy – I returned to the job yesterday with my 79 year old neighbor. I parked across the street. Michelle B. who lives in the area and County Representative and I had a lengthy chat. Some of the trees are going to be saved that were previously set for eradication. I did not approach the property. The chief contractor called me over when I was walking to my truck across the Brice road. He was hostile, ands swore no tree was over 500 years old (gag). I mentioned that this was a high-risk operation as his crew blew the top of a redwood, with no pull/guide rope, with a crowd under the power lines – in the drop zone reach. The climber made a face cut to drop the top, started the back cut, and the treetop tried to go the WRONG WAY The ground crew had to send a wedge up before the 40 ft top killed someone or destroyed the house. When I mention this the contractor went into a rage. Called me a liar, I said “I have a video, want to see it?” He threatened to beat myself (67 years old, and my Nam combat vet neighbor 79 years old). We left. Thank you Kym Kemp for saving some trees and exposing this horrific project. FTTG 541.656.7288
No room for this kind of corruption when it comes to the Redwoods we have come too far for corrupt poaching to be allowed by Cal Fire’s authority alone. Hole in the system to let Cal Fire do any permitting without the rest of the county supes being involved and voting, they need to seriously re define the EMERGENCY circumstances used to give this power to Cal Fire.This is a rush job not thought out actions with the conservation of old growth being considered, this is horrific and yes can all lower Redway residents do this if they claim it’s suddenly a major emergency cause a branch fell? I guess if 1)they are a neighbor Scarlett likes and 2) he retains his Cal Fire badge the chances are good. Is this the corruption that these majestic beauties die at the hands of in modern times, without forces like MAXAM pressing them? Local neighborhood corruption deep in the generational geography of lower Redway, wow.
Cal Fire cut out your bad branches so the disease doesn’t spread! Inhibit and regulate every cent of profit from those trees to the landowner so a presedence is set before it’s too late, change this direction, crush it with your boot heel.