A tree removal contractor working for Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) will remove 41 eucalyptus trees on the steep hillside between Building 77 and Lawrence Road as part of a wildland fire risk reduction plan. The project is expected to last through Friday, April 2, and will affect traffic on Lawrence Road.
Between approximately 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. daily, Lawrence Road will be reduced to one lane between the intersections of Glaser Road on the east and west ends, to accommodate the removal process and equipment. Flaggers will direct traffic.
This tree removal project is part of PG&E’s multi-year wildland fire risk reduction plan. Berkeley Lab partnered with PG&E to ensure environmental impacts were assessed. A certified wildlife biologist and certified arborist confirmed no nesting birds or bats are present in the trees being removed. Planning for tree replacement is currently underway and it involves input from several subject matter experts, including PG&E safety experts, a consulting arborist, consulting biologists; and the Lab’s Fire Marshal, Facilities groundskeeping planners, and Environmental Planner.
The Lab plans additional fire risk reduction activities this spring and early summer, including tree trimming, groundcover removal, and of course, the famous goat grazing.
