P.G.’s latest proposal to thin trees in the monarch sanctuary raises hackles.

Pacific Grove officials are in a sensitive spot when it comes to tree maintenance in the Monarch Grove Sanctuary. Cut too little and they risk liability, like the $1 million payout for the 2004 death of a grandmother struck by a falling branch. Cut too much and they risk harming the butterflies, like the overzealous trimming debatably blamed for low monarch counts in 2009-10.

Now, staffers are gingerly pursuing tree work in the sanctuary before the Oct. 1 start of the monarch overwintering season. On the recommendation of consultant Stuart Weiss, Public Works officials propose to thin densely planted blue gum eucalyptus and move the uprooted trees to planter boxes. They also plan to remove several canker-infested Monterey pines and cut hazardous dead branches.

The proposal has pissed off repeat City Council candidate Bob Pacelli, who led a citizen effort to plug the sanctuary’s wind breaks with trees in planter boxes. Pacelli later planted some of those eucalyptuses into the ground about 3 feet apart.

Weiss’ report alleges those plantings were unauthorized and disrupt the approved spacing of 10-15 feet. “The original city-authorized plantings in this zone were carefully planned,” he writes. “Crowding these trees with the additional unauthorized plantings will slow growth and create unhealthy individual trees.”

City Manager Tom Frutchey says he appreciates – and even helped fund – some of Pacelli’s efforts. “He really did do a lot of work,” he says. “We’re not going to harm those trees. We’re improving their chances.”

But Pacelli disagrees. He flagged the city’s tree-thinning plans for the California Department of Fish & Wildlife, which holds a conservation easement on the sanctuary property.

On Aug. 20, CDFW Regional Manager Jeffrey Single wrote to P.G. Public Works Acting Superintendent Daniel Gho, stating he wasn’t familiar with the work being proposed; city staff replied with planning documents. “Somebody from our department will get involved,” CDFW wildlife biologist Jeff Cann says. “We’re only able to work so fast.”

That same day, the P.G. City Council was set to consider the tree thinning, reaffirm the city arborist’s discretion to remove diseased trees and – in a finger-wag at Pacelli – prohibit planting in the sanctuary without Public Works approval.

Pacelli pulled the item from the consent calendar, and Mayor Bill Kampe postponed the discussion to Sept. 3.

Visit www.mcweekly.com/news to learn about an environmentalist push to get monarch butterflies federally protected under the Endangered Species Act.