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TREE.DFT Page 1 <br /> September 11, 1997 <br /> Hendrick's Park Tree Removal <br /> The below is the impressions of Scott Plamondon, Mike Bellmore and Johnny Medlin regarding what they <br /> felt were the citizen participants major issues of disagreement stated at the group's meeting of September <br /> 8th. <br /> ISSUES: <br /> There is no management plan for Hendricks Parks. This results in staff responding to issues in a crisis <br /> mode, on a case by case basis, without taking into account the full range of values presented by the park. - <br /> jrm <br /> There is a majority feeling that people who choose to purchase property near a wooded park or those who <br /> choose to enter a wooded park need to assume any risk which results from those choices. In other words, if <br /> you buy in a wooded area you should expect trees are going to occasionally fall. - jrm <br /> There is insufficient research and documentation to show that the removal of any or all of these 18 trees will <br /> not cause additional trees to fall due to windthrow. Therefore, it is questionable if this removal will result in <br /> greater safety for the local residents safer or not. - jrm <br /> The area adjacent to Hendricks Park Shelter is irrigated due to development of turf and the planting of <br /> Rhodys. This expansion of the Rhody garden area was staff initiated instead of publicly initiated. This <br /> irrigation is incompatible in the long term with the health and stability of the fir trees. Irrigation needs to be <br /> reduced or eliminated. - jrm <br /> Due to staffs reluctance to facilitate discussions on management plan proposals and unwillingness to change <br /> the removal recommendation for all 18 trees, the majority of the group feels staff is not willing to listen to <br /> their concerns and recommendations. - jrm <br /> The group had a very different idea of what their purpose and role was to be for this project. They felt that <br /> they were supposed to offer opinions as to their opposition or approval of the 18 trees to be removed. In <br /> addition they felt they were there to give ideas and suggestions about the management of the forest in <br /> Hendricks Park. - Scott <br /> The staff tried more than once to keep the group focused on the 18 trees to be removed and explained that <br /> the purpose of the group was only to focus on the 18 trees and for them to come up with compelling reasons <br /> for the trees not to be removed. - Scott <br /> The group felt that staff wasn't listening to their ideas and suggestions about the management of the park for <br /> tree preservation and the overall need for a management plan for the park. - Scott <br /> The group came with an expectation that they could have an active part in deciding which of the trees <br /> should be removed. They also came to the meeting with the view that the 18 trees U.F. had recommended <br /> for removal was excessive. - Mike <br /> The group came with the expectation that they could recommend changes in the management of the park. <br />