Crews Resume Tree Removal at John Muir Despite City Stop-Work Orders

Crews resumed removing trees Thursday at John Muir High School despite City-issued stop-work orders and an escalating legal dispute between Pasadena officials and the Pasadena Unified School District over whether the work violates the City’s Tree Protection Ordinance.

“We are aware of active tree felling activity at Muir High School,” Pasadena Public Information Officer Lisa Derderian said. “We sent City officials to the site where they were told to leave. Fines can result in thousands of dollars for continuing operations and additional legal implications. We have made several attempts to gain cooperation via PUSD leadership.”

The renewed tree removal came one day after the Pasadena City Council met in closed session to discuss potential litigation involving the dispute. The Council reported no action following Wednesday’s special meeting.

The City Council has other options. The City Council provides millions of dollars to the school district every year through Measure J. Last year, the measure generated $12 million annually for the school district. However, the City Council may withhold all or part of the funds. 

The City issued stop-work notices last week at seven Pasadena Unified campuses, alleging the district failed to obtain permits required under Pasadena’s Tree Protection Ordinance before removing protected trees.

District officials dispute the City’s position, maintaining the work is part of a state-directed environmental cleanup following the Eaton Fire and is necessary to protect students and employees from contaminated soil.

According to PUSD, contaminated soil must be removed and replaced before campuses can safely reopen for the 2026-27 school year.

In a statement released Wednesday, the district said the cleanup project is intended to eliminate what it described as an “imminent and substantial threat” posed by fire-related contamination.

“The Pasadena Unified School District has been diligently working on its fire-related contaminant impacted soil removal project to remove an imminent and substantial threat to the children, teachers, and community members at district campuses,” the statement said.

At the center of the dispute is Pasadena’s Tree Protection Ordinance, adopted to preserve mature and native trees throughout the city. The ordinance generally requires property owners to obtain permits before removing protected trees and authorizes the City to impose administrative penalties, issue stop-work orders and require replacement planting when violations occur.

City officials contend the ordinance applies to the school district’s work and that protected trees cannot be removed without City approval, regardless of the broader soil remediation project. The City has said it has repeatedly sought access to inspect trees at affected campuses and determine which are protected under the ordinance but has been denied access by the district.

PUSD, however, argues the cleanup is being conducted under the oversight of state environmental agencies and is necessary to remove contaminated soil deposited during the Eaton Fire. District officials have said preserving as many mature and native trees as possible remains a goal, but some trees, vegetation and infrastructure must be removed to safely excavate and replace contaminated soil within a limited construction schedule.

The dispute has grown increasingly contentious in recent weeks.

Last week, crews removed several trees at John Muir High School as protesters gathered outside the campus. The City subsequently posted stop-work notices at multiple school sites, while district officials continued to assert they are acting under state authority to address environmental hazards.

With tree removal now resuming at John Muir despite the City’s orders, the conflict appears increasingly likely to move into court unless the two agencies can reach an agreement over the scope of local permitting authority during the state-directed cleanup project.