Pacific, Gas & Electric officials say the tree is close to utility lines and create a threat to public safety. Nearby homeowners say they are willing to cover the cost of pruning the tree or relocating utility lines.
Sebastopol residents Tobias Morawietz, left, and Elsa Sze sing while sitting at the base of a 250-year-old oak tree on Bones Road in Sebastopol Thursday, March 26, 2026. Shortly after the sun rose above west Sonoma County Thursday, residents of Bones Road surrounded a Heritage oak tree thatConversations with the utility, they said, indicated tree crews would show up March 26 to cut down the large oak believed to be 250 years old.
They parked a Honda Fit in front of the tree to protect it and hung signs to discourage its removal, including one saying “1776” to illustrate its age. Sebastopol residents Tobias Morawietz, left, and Elsa Sze sing while sitting at the base of a 250-year-old oak tree on Bones Road in Sebastopol Thursday, March 26, 2026. Signs warning not to cut are attached to the trunk of a 250-year-old oak tree on Bones Road in Sebastopol on Thursday, March 26, 2026. Sebastopol residents Laurie Meyers, Ellen Barnett, Katherine Armer, Mark Barlow, Bob Dozer, and Ellen Keith are fighting PG&E to save a 250-year old oak tree in their neighborhood along Bones Road in Sebastopol Tuesday, March 24, 2026. Sebastopol resident Laurie Meyers is fighting PG&E to save a 250-year old oak tree on her property along Bones Road in Sebastopol Tuesday, March 24, 2026. Sebastopol residents Tobias Morawietz, left, and Elsa Sze sing while sitting at the base of a 250-year-old oak tree on Bones Road in Sebastopol Thursday, March 26, 2026. By the time lunchtime approached, tree crews were nowhere in sight and residents said they would continue to keep eyes out and warn each other when and if they needed to intervene and push for a compromise. “We’re ready to take on a lot of participation in the process if that’s what’s required,” said Katherine Armer, a Bones Road resident since July.Appeals court upholds California’s rooftop solar rulesPace of PG&E profit and revenue increases start to slow as bills ease She and her neighbors say the tree, located just south of Green Valley Road, has long been a notable landmark and gateway into a community of about 30 homes. It’s just outside the home of Bones Road resident Laurie Meyers, who was notified by PG&E in 2024 that the tree had to be removed. Word only got out late this month and neighbors are rallying to protect the tree and find ways to minimize danger that PG&E believes it poses. That includes paying themselves to reroute the utility line near the tree. A number of residents have lived on Bones Road for decades and Brian Goble said oak trees attracted him and his family to the neighborhood. A number of trees fell to development over the years, and few have been worthy of being spared. “In this particular case, this is a very important tree,” said Goble, whose property is just across from Meyers’. When contacted Thursday, PG&E representatives referenced a statement released earlier this week to The Press Democrat and said they would not comment further. In that statement, PG&E officials said the tree was inspected following a 2024 outage and identified for removal because there was evidence of “active decay” and the tree is “a risk of failure into PG&E’s assets.” PG&E crews inspect about 100,000 miles of overhead powerlines each year and prune or cut down more than a million trees that are in close proximity and increase the risk of fire or power loss. In “high fire-threat districts,” there needs to be 4 feet of clearance between trees and distribution lines, with 12 feet recommended at the time of pruning to ensure year-round clearance. Sonoma County staff said PG&E is overseen by the California Public Utilities Commission and is not bound by a local ordinance passed in April 2024 to promote conservation of oak woodlands. Still, residents of Bones Road have contacted local lawmakers for assistance. A representative for State Sen. Mike McGuire told The Press Democrat Tuesday their office was reviewing the matter. On Thursday, a representative for Sonoma County Supervisor Lynda Hopkins told residents he also had been in touch with PG&E. Meanwhile, Armer said Meyers will keep her eye on the tree from her home and at least three neighbors will always be available to answer her calls when and if she sees anything.El Niño is on the way: What that means for California's weatherDear Abby: If I can't see the baby, then I want my money back‘Five Nights at Epstein’s’ game goes viral at US school campusesKurtenbach: MLB's SF Giants-Yankees Opening Night Netflix cash-grab proves nothing is sacred in modern sportsGreat America hits 50. It may not make it to 52
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