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evidenced by sand bags 1 foot in height and 40 feet in length in use in the rear of 1919 Fircrest Drive. That address also has a driveway that is always wet, even on the driest and hottest days. Surface water and excessive irrigation can only amplify supersaturated soil conditions. I personally can attest to these excessively wet conditions since for at least eighteen years my backyard on the border of the park has been supersaturated in winter. One tree, Number 53 should be removed. This is based upon the small size, the amount of fungus in the stem- potentially spread among other trees - and minimal damage to • canopy. The remaining 17 should be spared. Number 28, estimated at 105 years old - should be designated as a "habitat" tree and left without limbs. This tree could stand for 10+ years before removal is necessary. Back to the remaining 16 trees. Many of these trees are historical by any measure, i. e. 100+ years in age. To condemn these trees in 1997 as "unsafe" and have them removed is not necessary. It is at best a subjective call as to how to preserve the aesthetics of the park and to provide an acceptable level of risk for both neighbors and visitors. Removing trees opens the canopy of the stand of trees which can itself cause of trees to fail due to shifting wind conditions. Removal of trees could increase the possibility of mud- slides. All healthy trees are essential for the preservation of the canopy. We are dealing with a natural matter and consequently do not have all of the factors to make accurate predictions with a degree of certainty. The most intense storm in modem history was the `62 Columbus Day storm which these trees stood even though they were in excess of 70 years old. In December 1996, an atmospheric low of similar intensity blew two of my 40 year old firs down because of excessive soil moisture and wind load. Interestingly enough all of 18 survived. Predicting tree failure is not an exact science. Short of removing all trees, some degree of risk must be accepted. Since these 17 and many other trees in the park have lived on average in excess of 100 years we must err on the side of nature and balance this decision by monitoring these trees annually. This solution will retain the character of the park and also keep safety as a major factor. Wad- L. Harrison 19 . Fircrest Drive Eugene OR 97403 c:l msofcelwinwordlharrisonitrees .doc *There is one exception: a 300 year old fir that suffered stem failure.