A little over a year ago, the City of Lewes, a tree city, established rules for the protection of trees during construction on private property. The rules are set out in Ordinance 17-23 Tree Construction Protection.
The ordinance is well-intentioned, but it only sets out rules for trees on private property. Any concern with the health of the trees in our city parks is not evident. It would be helpful to have some rules in place to protect trees on city property, rules that would guide contractors, city employees and visitors.
As an example, in George H.P. Smith Park, vehicles parked within the drip line of a tree are not an unusual sight on a summer’s day. Around some of the large oaks, excessive foot traffic has compacted the soil in the root zone.
At the website for the Lewes Tree Subcommittee is a link to a manual published by the USDAFS. The manual notes that soil compaction is one of the main killers of urban trees. Besides heavy machinery, excessive foot traffic serves to unduly compact the soil around a tree, restricting the ability of fungi in the soil to provide nutrients and moisture for a tree.
The City of Lewes is known for its unique and lovely parks that receive the acclaim of visitors. While Lewes in Bloom does its best to enhance the beauty of the parks, the city must do more to protect the trees on parkland. Soil compaction, along with drought conditions, has not served to benefit the trees of Lewes.
Cutting down an old tree that suffered because of the abuse of the tree’s root zone is a waste of taxpayer dollars. Planting a young tree where the old tree once stood is not the same as protecting the old tree in the first place.
What is good for trees on private property should be good for trees on public property. “Lumber City” just does not sound as appealing as does “Tree City.”
-
A letter to the editor expresses a reader's opinion and, as such, is not reflective of the editorial opinions of this newspaper.
To submit a letter to the editor for publishing, send an email to viewpoints@capegazette.com. All letters are considered at the discretion of the newsroom and published as space allows. Due to the large volume of submissions, we cannot acknowledge receipt of each submission. Letters must include a phone number and address for verification. Keep letters to 400 words or fewer. We reserve the right to edit for content or length. Letters should be responsive to issues addressed in the Cape Gazette rather than content from other publications or media. Letters should focus on local issues, not national topics or personalities. Only one letter per author will be published every 30 days regarding a particular topic. Authors may submit a second letter within that time period if it pertains to a different issue. Letters may not be critical of personalities or specific businesses. Criticism of public figures is permissible. Endorsement letters for political candidates are no longer accepted. Letters must be the author’s original work, and may not be generated by artificial intelligence tools. Templates, form letters and letters containing language similar to other submissions will not be published.
