Dying trees cause conundrum

The fruit trees lining the sidewalk in front of the courthouse may need to be removed, but what should be put in their place?

Facilities Maintenance Supervisor Larry Schommer brought this question to the Sundance City Council last week after discovering that all four of the trees have blight.

An arborist from American Forestry inspected the trees, he said, and told him that, "More than likely, they aren't going to make it."

Consequently, Schommer said that it is his desire to pull them out and start over – but there's a problem with this idea.

The roots of these trees are acidic, Schommer explained, which means they tend to sterilize the ground as they decay. This could mean that any tree planted in the same spot would have a hard time surviving.

So, Schommer said, he had spoken with the Crook County Commissioners and, "We would like to go a different route."

Schommer presented three alternative options. The first would be to simply move the trees back onto the grass, where they would have a better chance of surviving.

The second would be to replace them with large planters, which could be taken inside during winter weather. The third would be to install statues similar to those outside Old Stoney, which could also be removed when there's a need to snow plow.

Mayor Paul Brooks, however, expressed concern about the available grant funding to replace the trees because most federal grants require the work to remain intact "in perpetuity". It is unclear without research, he said, what exactly that would mean for a project like this.

Brooks also stated that he would prefer not to remove the trees because the city has worked hard to beautify the town. He would prefer to maintain a unified appearance, he said, which would mean concrete planters throughout the downtown.

Brooks said he does not want "the inconvenience of snow removal to change the look of the town".

Public Works Director Mac Erickson aid that American Forestry looked at other trees in Sundance, too, and some do have problems. Many can be fixed, he said; for example, there is a treatment for the damage caused by sidewalk salt and another to stunt the growth of a tree so as to ensure it fits in the available space.

There is a need for discussion and research before making any decisions, Erickson said, and the city will need to look into the wording of available grants. With tensions appearing to rise, Brooks brought an end to discussion of who would be responsible for the costs until further thought has been given to the issue.