Residents in Yorba Linda neighborhood upset over city's plan to cut down large trees

YORBA LINDA, Calif. (KABC) -- People living in Yorba Linda are demanding answers as the city moves to cut down several 40-year-old pine trees.

Residents say there are a lot of owls living in those trees and some are now concerned over their safety.

Dozens of pine trees that many enjoy from their windows and on walks are coming down.

"They block wind, they create shade, they're just big beautiful trees and they're not a 100-year-old trees. They're 40-year-old pine trees," said Candy Julian, a resident in the neighborhood.

People woke up to yellow notices that show which trees will be cut. One resident said that it's not going to be the same without those trees.

Then there are those actually living in the trees: owls nesting.

One neighbor put up a makeshift sign on a tree to inform those behind the cutting that the tree is occupied.

"We hear them all day and all night, and we've heard them for many, many years and when we saw him post the sign we realized: oh my gosh, there's a current nest up there," Julian said.

Julian got the California Department of Fish and Wildlife involved. According to Fish and Game Code, it's against the law to take, possess or needlessly destroy the nest or eggs of any bird.

A CDFW spokesperson told Eyewitness News they advised the tree not be cut because of the nest and feel confident the city understood.

A city spokesperson says the removal is to prevent trees from falling, saying three very large trees have fallen onto Fairmont Boulevard in the last couple years.

"We recently identified 28 trees, mostly Aleppo pines, that pose a significant potential safety risk due to their size, location on a slope, age, and shallow roots. As part of our arborists' due diligence before cutting, WCA inspects every tree for nesting birds," said a statement from a city spokesperson.

A city spokesperson says they plan to take a two week break on the tree cutting to address all residents' concerns before moving forward with the project.