S. California Redwoods Stressed To Breaking Point By Drought, Dying

"Koko Panossian is on death watch.

The Glendale senior park services manager gingerly steps around fresh tree stumps, ghosts of 30-year-old coast redwood trees. His eyes meet the brown, scratchy limbs of two towering gentle giants.

“You see these ones here,” he said, pointing skyward. “They are stressed. They are struggling to stay green. They are struggling to survive.” ...

The city cut down 15 coast redwood trees from Verdugo Park in the past month. Ten more are on his watch list. But this is not just a problem in Glendale. These colossal columns of nature are dying throughout Southern California, victims of a prolonged drought, unseasonably hot winter temperatures and reduced irrigation from a state-mandated 25 percent water conservation order."

Steve Scauzillo reports for the Contra Costa Times May 25, 2015.