On one side of the controversy are folks who identify themselves as environmentalists, and who want to remove such non-natives to restore our badly disrupted native ecosystem. These folks also worry about the pervasive spread of such exotics, and the increased fire hazard they create.
On the other side of the controversy are folks who also identify themselves as environmentalists, and who view these exotic trees as having just as much right to exist as indigenous Redwoods, Sequoias, or Oaks. Apparently in their view all trees are equally wonderful, and equally huggable.
The money quote comes from environmental historian Jared Farmer, author of "Trees in Paradise: A California History." Farmer says many see in these immigrant trees an experience that parallels their own.
"There are still a significant number of Californians who are the first generation in the state. They have come to love California. They have come to think of it as home. And they feel this kinship with the eucalyptus. They say to themselves, 'This tree is not from here, but it's beautiful, and it seems to fit'."Just as these folks can't -- or won't -- see the damage such invasive plants do, neither do they choose to recognize the damage their own presence does here in California.
Our biggest problem isn't the divide between those who do and don't love California. Our problem is the far too many people who love California so much that they feel they have a need -- and right -- to pile in here to live. And with them came crowded roads and beaches, relentless habitat destruction, pervasive air and water pollution, and breathtaking increases in the cost of living that have driven many natives far inland, or completely out of the state.
But I suppose that's a massive problem -- a problem of the masses if you will -- that only us pre-1970s California Natives can truly appreciate.
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