By: Lori Bledsoe
The Alpine Sun
If you have driven along Alpine Boulevard, you will notice an absence of Eucalyptus Trees at The Woman’s Club. Some people have expressed their disapproval and concern regarding the removal of more trees from the boulevard, but more are relieved that a potentially dangerous situation has been diffused. The Woman’s Club received a County Grant that allowed them to remove the trees.
By: Lori Bledsoe
The Alpine Sun
If you have driven along Alpine Boulevard, you will notice an absence of Eucalyptus Trees at The Woman’s Club. Some people have expressed their disapproval and concern regarding the removal of more trees from the boulevard, but more are relieved that a potentially dangerous situation has been diffused. The Woman’s Club received a County Grant that allowed them to remove the trees.
Abigail Allen, the Grounds Supervisor of The Woman’s Club explained that the trees had been dropping branches. This could be a disaster, as these branches are very heavy, and when they fall, they can cause severe damage. She wrote in an email to The Alpine Sun, “The two trees closest to your office were healthy, but had been dropping branches regularly anytime there was heavy winds. This is normal for Eucalyptus, but given their proximity to the sidewalk that is used regularly, it is a huge safety issue. The last branch that fell just last month would have easily injured someone; it only takes seconds for a limb to fall. They have also fallen on our lawn, and since we are a rental venue, this is to great of a liability for us (The Woman’s Club) to continue to tolerate.”
She continued to explain that the trees closest to the street were quite older and not as healthy. They had all been ‘topped’ by SDG&E when the power lines used to run overhead.” She explained, “Eucalyptus do not just regrow from the top like some trees. They grow up and around the cut trunk, like a green onion, while the cut trunk in the middle slowly decays, which weakens the stability of the tree. The paving encircling the trees is also detrimental to the roots. Eucalyptus are hardy and drought tolerant, but when you have the roots of five massive trees competing for all the water and nutrients that could be absorbed from the small amount of bare ground they had, their health was suffering. I had been monitoring the fungus growth on the trees over the last few years, and it has been getting larger and higher, which means that there was decayed wood at about 5’ in the trunk.”
For anyone who has ever dealt with Eucalyptus trees, they know that they are fast growing trees. But the wood is extremely dense and unbelievably heavy. If left unchecked, the possibility of one of the trees falling was greater and greater each day especially with the onset of Santa Ana winds that occur every October through January. If one of these trees did fall, it could irreparably damage the historical Town Hall Building, or worse, injure or kill a pedestrian enjoying a walk on Alpine’s newly installed sidewalks.
There are plans to replace the Eucalyptus trees with a possible planting of a different species of tree, or maybe even park benches with shade covers of some sort. This is still up for discussion at The Woman’s Club, but for now, the ladies are very happy to no longer worry about a future potential of tragedy from falling brittle branches or trees. Allen has a degree in Aboriculture and works for the Horticulture Department at Cuyamaca College. She said, “Please rest assured that I take tree removal very seriously and would only suggest it in cases where there is a danger to persons or property.”
