Maria Quinteros loved seeing the new trees planted earlier this year on her street in Koreatown. The trees remind her of home in El Salvador and she feels the trees add a freshness to the neighborhood.
“When you have more trees it’s fresher, healthier,” Quinteros said. “The trees are the ones who catch the smog of what comes from above so they are the ones who protect our health.”
Quinteros lamented seeing an old, dried-out tree near a new one planted across from her home on San Marino Street. She hopes the pretty trees she appreciates can be better taken care of in the coming years.
Residents like Quinteros can expect over a hundred new trees in the neighborhood as local officials announced a state investment of half a million dollars, advocated for by State Assemblymember Mark Gonzalez and Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky.
The fund is earmarked specifically for climate-adaptive tree planting in Koreatown and Mid-City, along with three years of maintenance.
Though a start date has not yet been announced, the investment is focused on some of the most densely developed parts of Council District 5.
Limited tree canopy in these neighborhoods leaves residents, particularly seniors and people who walk or rely on public transportation, exposed to extreme heat, according to a statement from Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky’s office.
Councilmember Yaroslavsky has made the expansion of the urban tree canopy a priority and views street trees as an important part of public infrastructure.
“They provide shade, reduce temperatures, improve air quality, and make neighborhoods more comfortable and walkable,” wrote Leo Daube, communications director for CD5.
Yaroslavsky’s office has partnered with the Koreatown Youth and Community Center (KYCC), which earlier this year, worked with the councilmember to plant 53 trees in the same general area.
Pablo Cardoso, Environmental Director at KYCC, led the tree planting earlier this year in Koreatown and is excited to bring 165 new trees, median maintenance and fire resilience planting to the area.
According to Cardoso, the $500,000 dollars in state funding will go directly to KYCC and be used for labor, materials, vehicles, permits, 15-gallon trees and other indirect costs.
In his experience, the response from the community has largely been positive with residents happy to have new trees planted in their neighborhood.
“The importance of planting trees is not just that your neighborhood is going to look nice,” Cardoso said. “It provides oxygen but it also changes their lifestyle within their neighborhood.”
The need to expand the urban tree canopy in Koreatown is urgent, but so is the maintenance to provide lasting benefits for future generations, according to Los Angeles Board of Public Works President Steve Kang, who helps oversee the city’s Urban Forestry Division.
“One of our biggest challenges is not simply planting new trees, but ensuring they receive the ongoing care, watering, and maintenance necessary to thrive,” said Kang. “That requires sustained resources, coordination, and long-term commitment.”
Kang is also leading an effort to trim nearly 800 trees in Koreatown which have gone without scheduled tree trimming for more than 13 years.
