Effort to Save 6 Oak Trees on UL Campus
Posted: Nov 18, 2010 8:22 PM by Jim Hummel
Updated: Nov 18, 2010 8:22 PM
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Tonight at 10:00, Jim Hummel brings us the story of a group of University of Louisiana at Lafayette students who are trying to save 6 oak trees on campus. The six trees are slated to be cut down to make way for upcoming construction projects on campus, including new dormitories.
The students have started a petition that you can view here. They will also have a meeting on campus Friday afternoon followed by a "Tree Appreciation" walk. The meeting will be held at 1:15 inside the forum room of the student union building.
Below is a statement on the matter from UL Administrators:
The university is very sensitive to its historical buildings and trees. While campus progress must continue, every effort is being made to protect these important assets. Designs for the housing initiative were scrutinized for months with several different proposals considered to minimize any damage to historical buildings and trees. The housing initiative calls for five trees to be planted for each tree that will be removed. The initiative also includes regulations for construction equipment working near current tree roots and the removal of impediments to the health of remaining trees. Measures such as root bridges, heavy-duty fencing and trenching will be included in the contractor's agreement. A total of six oak trees will be affected. Two were already scheduled to be removed because of declining health and limited life expectancy. None of these trees are among the Century Oaks planted by UL Lafayette’s first President Edwin Stephens. These six trees will be replaced with thirty oaks matching in-kind the trunk size of the affected trees.
next....
There are few images of college life more idyllic than a tree-shaded campus. The University of Louisiana, with its stands of Century Oaks, pines, cypress and more is a beautiful example of that.
But the university is also a growing thing. UL's enrollment was up almost 3 percent this year, making the land-locked campus one of the fastest growing in the state.
To deal with this growth, the university's master plan calls for adding 2,600 on-campus housing units and a parking garage over the next two years. But that plan is running into student opposition because it means the death of six of the campus' beloved oaks.
The rest of the story
In response to the UL administration’s plans to remove six live oak trees from campus to make way for new construction and renovations to existing buildings, a campus environmental group has started an online petition and the Louisiana Garden Club is urging its members to get involved.
Yeah if you follow the link I posted of an aerial from the late 20's early 30's it is plain to see the (already made it) Centry Oaks are not involved.
The tree I mention earlier with the strip of bark removed is a Centry Oak.
Unless the 30 trees planted are HUGE they will not replace the boardfeet lost, so that is all they should have stated from the start instead of some silly claim.
30 over 6 has a future but replacing what was lost board feet wisesounds like a -they won't check the facts- campaign promise.
Also it does the tree loving community no favors if they claim it involves trees that are not involved.
ps I changed the title of the thread.
igeaux.mobi
So all of this...with so many stressing themselves out..was for NOTHING. The original information that started the whole thread was incorrect.
My original post...right when the thread began...was that I was confident that those in place to make these decisions would do what was appropriate in this situation. Turns out, they did.
igeaux.mobi
I think some need to come on here and apologize.
igeaux.mobi
I'm sorry.
Well except for some faulty math and lost history it has been educational.
igeaux.mobi
I want to make it very clear... I was not stressing about this thread.
I thought we might have been talking about 6 precious old people in need of help. I was going to suggest cutting down the oaks around UL to sell and raise money for their care.
I'm very happy, even at great expense no doubt, UL has approached these trees and that land with logical and practical planning and conservationism.
I talked with those oaks one day when on campus. They told me they were kind of ticked off at being nothing more than showpieces all of their lives. One said, "I grew myself so that I could make really nice furniture and all of the Avatar loving freaks keep looking at me like I'm some kind of mystical creature. I don't mind that a lot of fruitcake people like me, but I just want to be made into furniture before something happens to me... like getting struck by lightning like my cousin Orf".
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