Eugene weekly., May 05, 2011, Page 10, Image 10

NEWS BRIEFS
WOW HALL TREES
SLATED FOR REMOVAL
Eugene is known for its big, leafy urban forest as well as
for the brouhahas that arise when the trees begin to fall.
Recently, two bigleaf maple trees planted in the early 20th
century on Lincoln Street near the WOW Hall were placed on
the chopping block.
Jon Pincus of the WOW Hall facilities committee said in an
email to EW, “Many people in Eugene have been uncomfortable
with the rate at which large street trees have been cut down by
the urban forester in the last few years.”
These large trees provide shade to help the WOW Hall keep
energy use and cost to a minimum. Without these trees, Pincus
is concerned about how much more energy the venue will be
forced to use in the warmer months. Each tree is approximately
40 inches in diameter and 70 feet tall.
According to a Feb. 9 study by Matt Rivers, city staff
inspector, there were several signs of death and decay: open
cavities, small depressions, several dead branches in the upper
canopy as well as two different kinds of fungus.
The report said the trees had fruiting bodies of Ganodderma
Spp., a wood decaying fungus, and mushrooms of the
Armillaria shoestring root rot fungus on and near the base of
the trees. According to Mark Snyder, Eugene’s urban forester,
both of these fungus types are a concern because they eat away
at the heartwood, sapwood and roots of the tree. Resistograph
tests showed that only about half of the wood in both trees is
structurally sound, the report said.
One of the trees (the fourth tree north of the intersection at
West 8th Avenue on Lincoln Street) earned a rating of nine on
the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) scale of three
to 12; 12 is the most hazardous. The other (fifth tree north of
the intersection) earned a rating of 10.
Currently, the WOW Hall committee is taking quotes for a
consulting certified arborist in order to gain a second opinion
on the trees within the next few days. Pincus is asking the date
of removal to be pushed back to get this additional expert
opinion.
“We won’t know if the trees are unsafe and irreparable until
we have an independent assessment done,” Pincus said.
Getting the assessment has been complicated because Pincus
said it appears some local arborists have already seen the
report, which might bias the findings.
Snyder, who approved the report of the WOW Hall trees on
April 20, said that the main issue is safety. Although it is
difficult to predict where or if the trees may fall, according to
Snyder, there are possible targets in almost every direction,
including the WOW Hall, buildings across the street, the
parking lot, streets and sidewalks.
“We recently gained an opportunity to witness a test of the
trees’ strength during the recent very strong wind storm here in
Eugene,” Pincus said. He said the trees showed no signs of
stress and did not drop any branches.
Plans for replacing the trees are in the making, “However,
these trees will start at 2 to 3 inches in width and require
special protective measures installed to give them an
opportunity to survive. It will be several decades before they
provide significant shading for the WOW Hall,” Pincus said.
Pincus said the WOW Hall is listed on the National
Register of Historic Places and these trees “are called out in
the nomination document.” He encourages those concerned to
contact city staff and ask for time to allow for for the
independent evaluation of the trees.
For background information on urban tree removal in
Eugene, check out the previous EW story at http://wkly.ws/124
— Chelsea Fryhoff and Heather Cyrus
COMPLETE
THE CYCLE
Jeff Willensky of Eugene has found a
way to put the recycling in cycling.
Bothered by throwing away old tires
and tubes from his environmentally
friendly transit mode of choice, Willensky
said he found for a better way to
“Complete the Cycle” with recycling.
He started asking local bike shops to
set aside worn out tubes and tires. Then
he found a local company, the Tire
Factory, that was willing to take the bike
tires/tubes for a fee and send them to
Portland along with their auto and truck
tires for recycling. RB recycling in
McMinnville grinds the tires and makes
rubber products including mats and
recreational surfaces.
According to Willensky, at least six
bike shops, some of which may ask for a
small donation or fee, participate in the
recycling effort: Arriving By Bike, Blue
Heron, Collins, Life Cycle, Simple
Cycles, and Wheelworks.
Willenski said he also plans to collect
bike tires and tubes from 1 to 5 pm
Saturday, May 21, in the parking lot of
Wheelworks at 11th and Lawrence. —
Alan Pittman
(A version of this story first appeared
at Eugenecycles.com)
CHEMICAL
TRESPASS
WOW tree
10 MAY 5, 2011
EUGENE WEEKLY
Day Owen, his family and neighbors
have been saying for years that the
toxic herbicides sprayed on nearby
private forestlands drift onto their
homes, farms and bodies and make
them sick (see EW cover story,
2/28/2008). Owen says their concerns
have been met with an “absolute denial
that we are really sick and being
chemically trespassed upon.” So Owen
and other pesticide opponents came to
the April 27 meeting of the Oregon
Board of Forestry with proof.
Urine from Owen and 20 other
Triangle Lake area residents, many of
whom are members of the forestland
dwelling group the Pitchfork Rebellion,
all showed the herbicides 2,4-D and
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