If you want to cut down a Southern California black walnut, Western sycamore, California bay or any oak tree in your backyard, you'll have to get a permit and plant two other trees. The Los Angeles City Council protected any of those species with trunks four inches or more in diameter. Violators could face a $1,000 fine or jail time. The Eric Garcetti blog comes up with a number I've wondered about: the urban forest in Los Angeles includes 20 million trees on private property, plus 700,000 street trees and 800,000 trees in city parks. [And I need to drive to City Hall, pay ten bucks to park and buy a permit to cut down one dying walnut tree in my yard?—ed. Apparently, yes.]