Reconnecting People and Trees: The Story of Angel City Lumber

When most people think of Los Angeles, they picture the sun-drenched beaches, the glitz of Hollywood, or the sprawling urban landscape. However, for Jeff Perry, the city revealed itself as something more—a multi-layered ecosystem where human life and nature are deeply intertwined.

Jeff never planned on starting an urban lumber company. As a self-employed carpenter struggling to make ends meet, he knew he loved wood. His passion for working with timber began years ago while apprenticing for a furniture maker, and he spent long nights in the shop, crafting pieces while listening to podcasts on planetary science and the cosmos. One evening, a statement from Bill Nye stuck with him: “No matter what your occupation is, if you want to contribute positively to your home planet, you can.”

That idea stayed with Jeff. While hiking in Eaton Canyon with his young son and dog a few weeks later, he stumbled upon a fallen coast live oak tree blocking the trail. Inspired, he asked a park ranger if he could salvage the wood to create something meaningful. The response was simple: “That’s not how it works.” The ranger explained that half of the tree would decompose while the other half would be hauled away and turned into mulch.

Something clicked. Jeff began wondering—what happens to all the fallen trees in Los Angeles? As he dug deeper, he learned the startling truth: millions of trees across the city were being discarded, chipped, or left to rot, their valuable wood never given a second life. That realization marked the beginning of Angel City Lumber.

More Than Just Lumber

Jeff’s vision for Angel City Lumber went beyond reclaiming fallen trees; it was about reconnecting people to the trees around them. He wasn’t interested in just selling “urban lumber.” Instead, he wanted to create a hyper-local movement where trees that once stood in people’s neighborhoods could be transformed into furniture, flooring, and structures—keeping their stories alive.

The company quickly became a hub for like-minded individuals. Craftsmen, artists, and builders sought out ACL’s wood not just for its quality but for its connection to the city. Each slab carried a history—perhaps it once stood in a backyard, shaded a neighborhood street, or lined the trails of Griffith Park.

Beyond the city, Jeff saw an even greater opportunity. Partnering with the U.S. Forest Service in the Angeles National Forest, Angel City Lumber began repurposing dead and hazardous trees that must be removed to prevent wildfires. Unlike traditional logging operations, ACL wasn’t cutting trees for timber; they were salvaging wood from trees that had naturally reached the end of their life cycle.

A Legacy That Fades Into the Future

For Jeff, the ultimate goal isn’t for Angel City Lumber to grow into an empire—it’s for it to disappear. He envisions a future where every local community in Los Angeles takes ownership of its trees, mills its own lumber, and fosters a sustainable relationship with urban forestry.

“Our job is to reconnect people with trees,” Jeff explains. “When you know a tree—when you’ve seen it on your street, watched it grow, and then, one day, see it become something new—it’s no longer just lumber. It’s part of your world.”

Angel City Lumber isn’t just reclaiming wood—it’s redefining how we think about the trees that shape our cities. And in doing so, it’s planting the seeds for a more connected, sustainable future.

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