“It is a violation of village law to cut publicly owned trees down without prior authorization from the Tree Board”
Letter to the people of Wellsville,
The Wellsville Tree Board would like to take this opportunity to shed some light on the April 9th cutting down of four beautiful and widely enjoyed trees on Main Street.
We were completely blindsided, shocked, and very upset when we learned, through the media, that the trees were gone. Wellsville has been recognized by the National Arbor Day Foundation as a Tree City for the past 35 years. The Tree Board’s function has long been to evaluate all existing village trees, to determine which trees need maintenance or removal, and to plant new trees as needed. In the case of these four trees, we were neither consulted nor informed before the trees were cut down. Likewise, no members of the Village Board were consulted or notified prior to the trees’ removal.
The 60-year-old Skyline Honey Locusts (Gleditsia triacanthos) shed a widespread ambiance and aesthetic aura to our downtown. They were a benefit to the restaurants there, giving shade and framing outside dining with a European flair that many of us enjoyed through the years. These trees were owned by the Village of Wellsville. They had been evaluated, as were all of Wellsville’s publicly owned trees, by an independent NYS forester in 2019, and found to be healthy and of no threat to the concrete or to passersby at that time.
It is a violation of village law to cut publicly owned trees down without prior authorization from the Tree Board. This deed was done quickly, quietly, and behind our backs. Whoever is responsible for removing those four trees violated the law.
Several questions remain unanswered: Who cut down the trees? How were they paid? How much were they paid, and by whom?
READ OUR ORIGINAL REPORTING ON THE TREE REMOVAL HERE
A bit about the trees: They were a sophisticated cultivar of Honey Locusts, Skyline. This variety is widely planted in urban environments throughout the Midwest and Eastern US for many reasons. They cast no fruits or nuts and have small leaves, requiring very little clean up. They are drought and salt tolerant, and are resistant to blights and disease. Unlike many locust varieties, the Skyline Honey Locust does not have thorns.
Of special concern, Honey Locusts are well-known as hearty fighters to survive. Cutting them down causes the roots to send up strong suckers that can negatively impact concrete, stonework and brickwork for years afterwards, even if the stump is ground. These were living beings and will probably have the last say.
The village Tree Board, along with the Village Board, has every intention of replanting appropriate trees in the same spots that the destroyed trees once stood. We will keep the public informed.
Sincerely,
The Wellsville Tree Board
Susan Duke, Chairwoman
Oak Duke, Co-Chair
Walter Gardner, Eva Thompson, Stacey Cretekos, Barry Glickstein, members
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