CAL FIRE-Funded HBT Tree Planting Projects in Los Angeles Area

Committed to grass roots change, the Hollywood Beautification Team works with communities across Los Angeles County on projects that range from mural painting to environmental remediation. Among grant providers for the Hollywood Beautification Team (HBT) projects has been the California Department of Forestry & Fire Protection (CAL FIRE).

One award of more than $434,000 enabled the planting of 750 trees across 13 parks. This undertaking was coordinated with the Recreation and Parks Department, which administers park properties that had lost thousands of trees over the last several years.

Another program funded through an urban forestry grant from CAL FIRE partnered with the Center for Urban Resilience (CURes) research team from Loyola Marymount University. Over a two year period, the team surveyed trees that had been planted in San Fernando Valley’s Pacoima area as a way of fighting climate change. With the trees planted in underserved neighborhoods, another aim was to mitigate urban heat island effects, while dampening noise pollution and providing air filtration.

With three species of trees planted, the HBT actively watered some and others left alone. The CURes team measured aspects of trees such as height, trunk circumference, and growing conditions (sun exposure). In addition, the health of the trees, such as percent crown missing and die-back, was recorded as a way of better understanding best practices for future plantings of the tree species.

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HBT’s Early Grassroots Efforts

Established with a vision of bettering local Los Angeles communities, the Hollywood Beautification Team coordinates activities such as climate appropriate tree planting, graffiti removal, and school mural creation. The Hollywood Beautification Team (HBT) started with a Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) grant of $25,000 and a Paramount Studios-donated van. These enabled graffiti cleaning and abatement efforts five days a week, starting in in 1992.

Three weeks after HBT’s inception, civil unrest led to widespread rioting and looting. This primarily impacted South Los Angeles, but hit Hollywood secondarily. HBT was among the organizations called upon by civic leaders to clean up the streets. Roughly 600 volunteers coalesced over an eight-day period to clean up debris and glass that littered the streets and sidewalks, and ensured that burned structures were boarded up. In addition, graffiti with hurtful messages was painted over and shop shelves were restocked.

This coordinated effort led to the CRA continuing funding for HBT’s graffiti abatement program, as well as for the organization to be “on call” should another emergency occur. This did come to pass with a 1994 Northridge Earthquake that caused a Hollywood fault aftershock and led to vulnerable buildings being evacuated. With some 3,000 residents stranded on the streets, HBT again cleared debris while providing the Red Cross with assistance in delivering the essentials to displaced residents. Homeless residents received several months of HBT support, including moving their belongings to storage, which allowed them to confidently move into shelters.