Source: Santa Clarita Organization for Planning and the Environment
In a unanimous decision by the LA County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, an oak tree steeped in history and admired by the Stevenson Ranch community has been designated a historic landmark. The tree known as “Old Glory”, reported to have begun its lengthy life around 400 years ago, has now been formally recognized for its significance. “That tree is an incredible teacher, and I think will continue to teach now, with this landmark status,” John Quigley, the environmental activist who once took residence in the tree’s branches for 71 days, told NBC Los Angeles.
Facing destruction in 2002 for a proposed subdivision, Quigley’s protest ultimately saved the tree. Defying both natural and human adversities, he recounted the hardships he endured which included, “The windstorms, all the threats, the gunshots, the exploding mailboxes.” The tree, a Quercus lobata, was relocated in 2004 to Pico Canyon Park, where it now stands as a testament to resilience and a community’s spirit. The move, drawing a comparison to the precise engineering feat of transporting the Space Shuttle to the California Science Museum, was deemed remarkable as mature oaks are notoriously difficult to transplant, yet “Old Glory” thrived post-relocation…