Comments on: Miller & Pomona

By: Steve Bean

Steve Bean — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 17:25:03 +0000

Thank you, Paul, for being sane and acting on it.

By: paul hickman

paul hickman — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 05:52:00 +0000

The latest chapter in this story… We were able to save the 12′ x 40″+ butt log of this Elm tree from the mulch pile and from being burned. We were also able to get the 10′x24″ butt log of the Tulip Poplar tree that came down next to the Elm. Both are now at the mill ready to be processed for furniture, frames and many other things better than mulch or firewood. A bit of work, but very doable. Thank you Lawrence Arbor Care (a local tree service) for all of your cooperation, patience and communication. Thank you Jason Tervol of Tervol’s Wood Products for picking up the logs and processing them.

By: Vivienne Armentrout

Vivienne Armentrout — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 15:27:58 +0000

The links given are quite helpful. The Salant article makes an important point, namely the difficulty of bringing down a large tree in an urban setting so that sufficient lengths of lumber can be obtained. We had a large elm that was between us and the adjoining neighbor (not a street tree). It finally succumbed to Dutch Elm Disease (at least, those were the symptoms) and our tree service removed it section by section, succeeding in taking down neither the fence, the neighbor’s air conditioning unit, nor his roof.

Some tree services in the area do recycle wood as firewood – of course this adds to carbon dioxide release, but it is still a reuse.

BTW, we still have two huge elms along our property line on the other side. I think that street trees were especially vulnerable to DED because of root grafts, but volunteer specimens are perhaps a little luckier. They are magnificent trees.

By: Ron

Ron — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 15:12:05 +0000

Thanks for the info about that tree. I didn’t know it was an elm. One thing I do know is because of its huge trunk, it is large enough to block your view when exiting Pomona onto Miller. More than once I looked to the right, saw no car coming and looked left and then tried moving out onto Miller only to see a car coming at me that had been hidden behind that tree to my right. Now it’s look left, look right then look left again. Despite this small problem, I wish the tree was healthy and didn’t need to be taken down. It will be a big loss.

By: Marilyn

Marilyn — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 13:06:29 +0000

Thank you Chai.

By: Chai

Chai — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 02:11:31 +0000

Two paths diverged in a yellow wood
and sorry I could not travel both and be one traveler
long I stood and looked down one as long as I could
to where it bend in the undergrowth.

By: Marilyn

Marilyn — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 12:45:52 +0000

Paul, I just realized the tree inventory map only includes trees on public property – extensions, parks, etc. That explains things a bit. I guess in the inventory, the elms only make up about 3% of all trees. I had thought that pretty much all of the elms were gone by now due to the disease. We have 6 very large maples in our country yard. I believe one of them is just about dead. It looked terrible this year. We will certainly miss it. We had standing water in our yard way into June this year. Very unusual and bad for tree roots. We have ponds on properties to the east and south of us.

By: Paul Hickman

Paul Hickman — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 02:14:09 +0000

@ Marilyn – There are 3 American Elms in my back yard just North of the tree being cut down on Miller.

By: Marilyn

Marilyn — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 01:53:02 +0000

PMH, where are your elms less than 200 ft. away? I could only find the elm that they cut on the city tree inventory map.

By: paul hickman

paul hickman — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 02:04:48 +0000

There are at least two local tree services for those in need of felling a tree and wish to utilize the wood (assuming it is in good shape) beyond mulching it. The Lumberjacks and Shady Tree. There are many sawyers and mills that process strictly urban salvaged wood. The Urban Wood Project website has a listing and good information on this topic. [link] Another good source of information is Katherine Salant's article "Backyard Tree Could Be Your New Floor". The article does a good job of covering most of the ins and outs of "urban wood". [link]