Statement Regarding TreePeople, TreePeople Land Trust and Coldwater Canyon Park

On October 15th, TreePeople published a statement claiming

• That TreePeople “never authorized or endorsed the organization to conduct firefighting or emergency response operations on land managed by TreePeople.”
• TreePeople did not “authorize SCWR to represent the park as a training ground or base for firefighting activities”
• and that “involvement […] was limited to volunteer participation in brush clearance and land stewardship activities”

From January 2026 until October 9, 2026, SCWR had an agreement with TreePeople under which SCWR used Coldwater Canyon Park as its primary training grounds and operating base, with the knowledge and permission of TreePeople’s park management staff.

A TreePeople representative first reached out to SCWR to suggest the park as a training location and to describe the facilities available to our crews.

Over the course of that relationship:

• • At the invitation of a TreePeople employee, SCWR made Coldwater Canyon Park its primary training ground. Our crews trained there continuously, with staff permission and access throughout, logging more than 1,000 hours since January 2026.
  • TreePeople staff gave SCWR gate and door access codes and authorized 24/7 access to the park, including the conference center and office areas. SCWR used these spaces for regular classroom training, drills, and events, and as needed in between.
  • With permission from TreePeople staff, SCWR stationed fire engines at the park nearly around the clock and housed its firefighting gear and apparatus there, including a water tender trailer and two vehicles.
  • TreePeople staff coordinated paid fire watch engagements for SCWR during film productions on the property. SCWR also conducted regular fire patrols at the park.
  • TreePeople donated a vehicle to SCWR.

TreePeople staff coordinated with SCWR throughout this period, and written messages with park staff reflect their awareness of, and at times their permission for, these activities.

SCWR’s involvement was not limited to volunteer brush clearance and land stewardship. It was an ongoing working relationship that included training, fire prevention, and fire watch.

On October 8, 2026, KCRW published an investigative report about SCWR that independently acknowledged our ongoing agreement with TreePeople, including fire patrols at Coldwater Canyon Park during red-flag days. The article also quoted TreePeople’s Park Operations Manager, Ed Moreno, who stated, “Johnathan has been great to us.”

This reporting, published just one week before TreePeople’s October 15 statement, contradicts its subsequent characterization of SCWR’s involvement as limited to brush clearance and land stewardship.

Separately, SCWR acknowledges that an earlier public statement incorrectly included TreePeople Land Trust in describing our relationship. Upon discovering that TreePeople and TreePeople Land Trust are separate organizations, we promptly corrected it.

Following KCRW’s reporting on SCWR, TreePeople ended its relationship with SCWR on October 9, 2026. SCWR removed its equipment from the park as requested and updated its website to remove any language suggesting a current affiliation.

TreePeople did not contact SCWR before publishing its October 15 statement. Since then, SCWR has made repeated efforts to resolve these factual discrepancies through direct communication, offering to meet and provide supporting documentation. We have yet to receive a substantive response addressing the disputed facts or any meaningful indication of a willingness to work toward a resolution.

We are proud of the work our crews did at Coldwater Canyon Park and grateful to the TreePeople staff who worked alongside us. SCWR remains committed to wildfire resilience and to the safety of the communities we serve.