Where have all the Sequoia's gone?
As
a horticulturist, tree grower, pruner and planter I must take exception
to the city’s decision to remove (murder) these beautiful trees. I must
also take issue with the reporting on this story. Five stumps put to
question the number of this serial crime. Further, misrepresenting that
these “three” trees had “no market value,” and would soon be turned
into firewood. Ask any woodworker or Eden Saw Lumber what redwood
planks sell for? Those prices are for Coast Redwood, not for the much
rarer Sequoia gigantea. It is such a valuable a lumber tree, that I
have been planting 500 of them on a logged off property for future
commercial harvesting. Recently, one experimental grove of these trees
was logged off and shipped back to CA. Blue Mt.Tree Services hauled
these trees off, as logs and I am sure that they will be milled into
lumber quickly. The property owner should be given compensation for
this wood.
As to references that “several people expressed
gratitude for the removal when walking by.” What a crock. As I drove
by, I hit my brakes, looked over to a woman watching and made to wipe
tears from my eyes. She nodded in agreement!
Returning to
the root cause of this action, the avoidance of trip-and fall lawsuits.
It is all too common that many cities cut down mature shade trees when
their roots buckle sidewalks. Sometimes they are the very trees that
incompetent city planners insisted the developer’s plant. Sycamore
Maples being one horrible example. IMO, the cost of removing these
Sequoia’s probably exceeded the cost of repairing the concrete
sidewalk. There are however, alternatives. One being rubber sidewalks.
These elastic tiles look like brick paving and are a good alternative
for addressing tree root sidewalk issues. Best of all they last for
decades and do much to recycle some of our environmental waste.
I would expect public work officials to be skeptical but these trees might have been a good test project.
The
individual panels can be glued to together and can be easily lifted up
and replaced after roots are trimmed or more sand is layed beneath.
Sequim
needs all the mature trees it has and less strip malls. Trees and
sidewalks have competing needs, trees can ruin sidewalks, and sidewalk
repairs or asphalting often kill the trees. Both sidewalks and trees
are costly and valuable, so both needs must be understood. Most damage
to sidewalks occurs as the roots become thicker, but it also occurs due
to natural expansion and contraction. Cracks in sidewalks allow water
to seep in causing damage, roots being opportunistic follow the water
and air they need to breath.
We now come to aesthetics:
Sequim is becoming ever more ugly, ripping out beautiful trees simply
doesn’t help at all. Too much city planning is based upon corporate
agendas, incompetent city engineers, ignoring those they are supposed
to serve. If we want humane city life, then we damn better start paying
attention that humanists are involved in those designs.
Dealing
with competing agendas can be difficult. The solution does not always
have to be a chainsaw and ax, it may involve comprises, such as
narrowing the sidewalk, putting larger curbs around the but trace of
the tree, using rubber pavers, or possibly even accepting uneven
sidewalks. If we can put up signs to protect us from Elk crossings, why
not a sidewalk sign warning of tree root passings? Pardon my cracks,
but this sidewalk is tree empowered.
(Not one newspaper would print this.)