On Thursday, September 28, in partnership with Mr. Sooman Lee, founder of SM Entertainment and one of the pioneers of K-POP, KYCC Environmental Services launched the LA Tree Sustainability Initiative with a kick-off ceremony at the Korean Pavillion near Seoul International Park in Koreatown. 

For the launch, we were also joined by special guests including LA County Supervisor Holly Mitchell, LA City Councilmember Heather Hutt, and Consul General Youngwan Kim of the Republic of Korea in Los Angeles. After the launch of the initiative, Mr. Lee along with local elected officials planted a Ginko tree in front of the Korean Pavilion.

The City of Los Angeles is home to 4 million residents and there are more than 700,000 street trees, consisting of over 700 tree species throughout the city. Street trees reduce pollution, provide cooling, save energy, and make neighborhoods more livable. In addition to the planting of new trees, proper maintenance is essential for tree health and ensuring that trees do not injure pedestrians, damage property, and obstruct important signage. 

Through the LA Tree Sustainability Initiative, KYCC aims to promote sustainability in our community, provide cooling of dense urban areas such as Koreatown, and help support LA’s Green New Deal goal of planting 90,000 trees and increasing the tree canopy by at least 50% by the year 2028 in densely populated, underserved communities with the least shade. 

Founded in 1975, KYCC is one of five urban tree planting organizations in the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area. Since the aftermath of the 1992 Civil Unrest, KYCC has provided training and resources for residents and small businesses to beautify their neighborhood, to increase open space for families and to maintain and plant trees in densely populated urban centers like Koreatown and South Los Angeles.