What’s up with chopping down cherry trees?
Vancouver Courier
Published: Wednesday, May 14, 2008
To the editor:
Re: “Parks board to remove trees marking Japanese arrivals,” May 2.
http://www.canada.com/vancouvercourier/news/story.html?id=53f6b9e1-dd4c-4c67-b091-9887bb17349d&k=29274
A quick search of the Internet tells me that the same species of trees are planted in the Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C. as well as at the University of Washington in Seattle. In both cases, nearly all have been alive for 50 years, and some are as old as 90. A plant-expert friend of mine tells me that 75 years for these trees is common, especially in northern climates.
Japanese gardeners consulted about the ones in Oppenheimer Park estimate that in Japan they might live for much, much longer, and say that similar ones in Japan live for up to 100 years.
Considering all this, wouldn’t it be a good idea for the parks board to at least better explain its case for removal?
Otherwise, one is tempted to think there are motives for their decision not entirely apparent.
Bill Casselman,
http://www.canada.com/vancouvercourier/news/letters/story.html?id=afc47753-7a44-4e20-8550-0bf055bf10ea&k=81186
Vancouver Courier
Friday, May 23, 2008
To the editor:
I agree with Bill Casselman that the parks board owes us a better explanation for cutting down any of the remaining flowering cherry trees in Vancouver (“What’s up with chopping down cherry trees,” Letters, May 14).
Many cherry trees in our parks and on our boulevards are older than 25 years. I will not identify the ones that I mean for fear the parks board might decide to go after them, too.
I hope that when they do need to be replaced that the board will replace them with new cherry trees, not the nondescript trees that seem to be the latest fad.
Breck Milton,
Vancouver
© Vancouver Courier 2008