Strange told the commission that the active ordinance has no mitigation for single family dwelling units as required by CEQA, and which, according to Strange, is the single largest threat to the oak trees. Why are single family dwelling units such a threat? Strange explained that developers can currently be required to build single family homes around oak trees, in order to preserve them, but there is no way to stop the homeowner from removing the tree from their yard later. Jerry Scott told the commission that they are not suggesting changes that will intend to be about regulation, but management. Commissioner Robin Peters said that after researching tree preservation around the state that he found a consistency in that they were all surrounded by controversy.

Commission Chairman Frank Cunha stated that, "The controversy is due to the lack of education by planning commissions. I used to feel I had to save every heritage oak, but I learned that some of those trees are really old, (past their prime so to speak) and it might be more useful to replace those trees with new, young trees and refresh our environment." He went on to say, "The cumulative cutting of oak trees will devastate this county. We cannot look at this issue as a city, alone. All cities in the county have to be involved in this, Jackson, Ione, Plymouth, and the County are all taking very hard looks at oak tree preservation." The commission directed Paula Daneluk to draft the changes to the policy that include the preservation of the oak woodlands as a corridor, or habitat.