Trees & Tree Commission - Laserfiche WebLink

New Search

Many are now literally shells of their former selves, with hearts of rot. Such was the case with the N tree outside Kline's door. Staszweski Bald_ • DO ` ' a "It it has to go. it has to go," he said. "Removing BISHOFF trees is nothing we take pride in. but it's a matter of public safety." Wt'' Staszweski pulled out a snapshot of a tree on " : ` Jefferson Street near Seventh. A tree - cutting crew member was almost completely inside a huge cavity in its base. "That n picture is taken from the south," said Ben 13jglea �� ■ s•a�' leJ Bonner. tree crew supervisor. "What's interesting is that it still had green leaves and a full canopy. As you drove down Jefferson from the north. the tree looked and all thctt rot completely healthy." But it was rotten to the core and carrying the hefty canopy weight on a thin cone of sound wood just inside the bark. It was destined to crash down on a IT'S AN UGLY sight: More and more of the huge passing car or pedestrian, later if not sooner. old big leaf maples that grace the fringes of downtown THE TRICK FOR Staszweski and Bonner in such are befog replaced by stumps_ cases is to guess when sooner might arrive, so they Get used to it. Many stumps are on the horizon. can leave the beautiful old maples up as long as Ironically, that bad news is a result of a new city pile. policy to pay more attention to what is called, these To ease cutting shock on nearby residents, the two days, our "urban forest." have taken to posting Day-Glo orange signs on trees to Responsibility for trees that line city streets was be cut. Currently, a decaying maple in the 500 block passed last summer from the Eugene Parks Services of Lincoln Street is marked with a death notice. Division, where it was a sort of stepchild. to the Anybody with a tree-cutting objection can phone a Public Works Department The city hired its first number on the notice and get an explanation of why it urban forester. Jan Staszweski (Sta-chef-ski). A has to go. And both men say they're open to - master plan and more trees are in the works_ suggestions for saving any marked tree. But John Kline knew none of this was when he Meanwhile, more replacement trees are in the looked out the window of his house at 10th and works. That's part of Staszweski's master plan. which Madison. The huge old big leaf maple that stood there indudes using volunteer and neighborhood groups. for 75 to 100 years wasn't there any more. The shift to public works means the street tree "It was quite shocking," he said. So was the sudden program can tap into gas tax funds. Only $5,000 a year disappearance of another maple a block away at 10th has been spent on street tree planting for years, but and Jefferson. the budget will zoom to S25,000 next year — Measure "I've lived 15 years in Eugene, 12 of them 5 and the city budget committee willing. downtown," said Kline, a teacher. "One of the things Staszweski hopes to plant first on streets where that attracted me to some of the big trees have come down, so new stock a0 ■� the downtown area is can get some growth on it before all the old - timers are °" "'" the protective canopy gone. ` ) I of those trees. There's " an unparalleled visual ALL OF WHICH satisfies John Kline — to a point.. "••" r _ + • +. r aesthetic." What he wonders is why the city waited until some of •.. �. its most distinguished senior citizens were dying off . ✓' _ • Twenty of the big before it thought about replacing them. leaf maples and nine � - "Twenty-five years ago would've been a good time to �-. other big street trees have been cut in older start planning for the regeneration of these trees," he ~ � parts of town since said. "Unfortunately, that hasn't happened " July. Thats when He's right. of course. t public works took 1 swear I can remember covering a City Council over the tree program and began a semi- meeting sometime in the 1960s when some bold new ' systematic inspection tree- planting program was announced. And we've had John Kline in older parts of town. periodic bursts of ceremonial plantings since. But nothing really comprehensive until now. Stumping for trees In a city with So credit Staszweski and Bonner with enthusiasm 100,000 street trees, and good intentions. and wish them luck. But pardon a 20 area a lot And the maples the number will grow in the neat spot of cynicism about whether this burst of fondness annd d much beloved. Witness the 1983-84 are literally a r. And the 1 of pioneer stock 983 -81 fight over for forestry produces more growth than previous beloved. ones. cutting some of them to widen Sixth and Seventh "My concern is whether or not the city has some avenues. So Kline wasn't the only resident to write or phone kind of vision." Kline said_ He'li have to wait another Staszweski and ask what in the world is going on 25 years to find out. — Short answer. Age and ill treatment Most of the maples are in their twilight years. Their deterioration has been hastened by everything from bad pruning to bad drivers running into them. Once their outer layers are pierced, rot often sets in.