Is it illegal to PLANT a tree? San Francisco?

MattinSTL

MattinSTL

Sound Modulator
I've been to SFO a couple times and something has always freaked me out. Has anybody ever noticed that little tree next to the Golden Gate bridge? If you're on the east side/city side of the bridge and you look off to the left you see this little scrub tree up on the hill... I've stood next to that tree... I've touched that tree... and for some reason I've found that tree more fascinating then the freakin' bridge. Why? Because it's this odd little scrub tree that's in about a MILLION published photographs.

So I was wondering if somebody brought a little Joshua tree or something less then knee high... and planted it about 10' or so away... so that it was no taller then the prairy grass that's all over that hill... I wonder if I could spend the rest of my life watching that tree grow? You'd be able to check that little tree's progress in a thousand pictures a year... Would people IMMEDIATELY notice? I'd think so... but I've always wondered.

So what's the deal on that? Would a person get hit with some fines or jail-time for something like that? Do you think the little tree would be allowed to grow?

Sorry for the insanity, but in life I always look for the ignored things in the background... and if you do an image search you always see this little "lone tree" on the hill.

7-460-27.bluffs.y.jpg
 
If a tree is planted where no one sees it, will Matt care?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

I suspect from your description that the tree in question is located in either the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, or Mt. Tamalpais State Park.

see map here:
http://tinyurl.com/bolzr

The soil here is very sandy and the wind is fairly high. It's not a great environment for trees to take, although this one lonesome fella evidently survives.

Every so often I get to go to a convention in SF, and when I do I try to get over there to do some mountain biking. Mt. Tamelpais is one of the places where mountain biking was invented. Gary Fisher and many others started here, modifiying clunker bikes to race downhill, and eventually adding gearsets so that they peddle up, too. The terrain is much different than what we typically have in the Midwest. No stumps, few rocks. Mostly dirt singletrack with ruts. A lot of fun knowing that you're pedalling in the ruts of greats that came before you (kind of like shooting your short on the same set that the Wizard of Oz was shot on).

There are several bike shops on the SF side near the GG bridge that will rent you a bike for the day. I haven't been there since 9-11, so I hope that they still let you peddle over the bridge.

I doubt that there are any laws against planting trees, but this is California, so who knows...
 
Matt,

I think you should go undercover and plant a second tree. It's got to be illegal, but if you're caught you could be a cause celebre. The guerilla arborist.
 
I think you should plant a tree AND get caught. Next, you reel in the media to this quirky little David and Goliath story about "an innocent young man who wanted to help nature but had to battle the corrupt government".

Environmental groups from Green peace to the united association of abourists will rally behind you in solidarity. It will become a nationally Syndicated headline. A complete media storm.

You hire someone to ghost write your book, sell the movie rights and demand that you direct it....for a tidy profit.

All in the name of nature.

As your manager I'll only take 15%.

good luck.

-rook
 
Hey I haven't been on here for a full day almost and I'm glad to see this got a couple replies! I've touched that tree a couple times... you can get right to it with no problem... it's right off a little road that winds up to the spot where a lot of photographs are taken.

I don't know why it strikes me as so funny... but you have this unbelievably majestic bridge that's so perfectly framed by the hills around it and then there's this one little sprig right there... do an image search. Of course I AM easily amused.

When I went to the Vietnam Wall I pushed my finger through a couple of letters (not damage... just feeling the cut stone) and I smacked the Washington Monument (lightly) to feel the roughness of the limestone (or whatever it is)... I just like to make that sensory contact with a place so I have a better memory of it.

So if one day you see some other small tree growing up beside the sprig that's already there... don't turn me in. Since I'm not going to have any children I figure this will have to do.
 
MattinSTL said:
When I went to the Vietnam Wall I pushed my finger through a couple of letters (not damage... just feeling the cut stone) and I smacked the Washington Monument (lightly) to feel the roughness of the limestone (or whatever it is)... I just like to make that sensory contact with a place so I have a better memory of it.
Click to expand...

I totally understand, when they had the Titanic exhibit here in LA you could poke your finger through a hole in a tiny plastic case and touch a fragment of the steel from the hull, but so many people had touched it already it was worn smooth and coated in a slick greasy veneer. Right next to that was a huge free standing piece of the hull, I mean it was gigantic, couldn’t resist, I reached across the velvet rope and respectfully touched the hull; it was cold, and rough, and real, it took me away for a moment.

Of course the guard told me I couldn’t do that and directed me to the tiny piece, but by then it was too late, I had already touched it.
 
Yeah I always have mixed feelings about stuff like that... if I see that something is showing signs of contact then I'll just look at it.

It is amazing that our greasy freakin' fingers can so effectively polish something down.

Your story about the Titanic reminds me of the moon rock in Cape Canaveral... you can fold your hand awkwardly under an acrylic ledge to just barely tweak your fingers to touch this little "triangular" rock that is so poo-pooing smooth that it's pointless. I felt like I was in training to steal Cokes out of the vending machine.

The best thing about this forum is how I can always find at least a few people that I relate to... and enjoy the humor from everybody. I expected this post to get exactly one reply.
 
Mythfit said:
I totally understand, when they had the Titanic exhibit here in LA you could poke your finger through a hole in a tiny plastic case and touch a fragment of the steel from the hull, but so many people had touched it already it was worn smooth and coated in a slick greasy veneer. Right next to that was a huge free standing piece of the hull, I mean it was gigantic, couldn’t resist, I reached across the velvet rope and respectfully touched the hull; it was cold, and rough, and real, it took me away for a moment.

Of course the guard told me I couldn’t do that and directed me to the tiny piece, but by then it was too late, I had already touched it.
Click to expand...


Sort of related story. My wife and I were at the Getty in LA. We are going through a part with lots of marble statues and such. She then drops her purse on a table near the entrance to one of the rooms and starts rumaging through it. She's got stuff spread all over looking for something. The guard comes over and starts giving us hell. The table she was using was this zillon year old hand carved thing and was part of the exhibit. But it didn't have any ropes or a sign and the way it was just sitting there it didn't seem like part of the rest.

It was funny. I told the guard I didn't think of it since we have a table just like it at home. She didn't laugh.
 
I just like to make that sensory contact with a place so I have a better memory of it.
Click to expand...

So when you meet a new girl and you really want to remember her, do you use the same technique? :thumbsup:
 
Just between you, me, and the 8,000 members here... yes, but that's on a whole different level.

I haven't kissed any landmarks... and I don't have the distinct memory of only TWO of them actually tasting like candy... *sigh*.
 
Man this is the best thread

I love finding comments like this one....

I totally understand, when they had the Titanic exhibit here in LA you could poke your finger through a hole in a tiny plastic case and touch a fragment of the steel from the hull, but so many people had touched it already it was worn smooth and coated in a slick greasy veneer. Right next to that was a huge free standing piece of the hull, I mean it was gigantic, couldn’t resist, I reached across the velvet rope and respectfully touched the hull; it was cold, and rough, and real, it took me away for a moment.

Of course the guard told me I couldn’t do that and directed me to the tiny piece, but by then it was too late, I had already touched it.
Click to expand...

Thats just is a perfect scene from a movie.... think of the mood of Shawshank Redemption... a voiceover of the character going along with the film.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top