Jump to content

Providence Parks and Green Space


Cotuit

Recommended Posts

So this morning the subsidized housing building at the end of our street is in the process of cutting down a few large-ish evergreens (like 20'+) as well as some nice shrubs and whatnot.

That's really a shame... I can't speak for why they cut down the shrubs, but where my parents live in rustic New York State, there is a big trend right now of people cutting down trees that have the potential to die and fall on their homes. Some big storms in recent years have brought down trees that have crashed into people's houses, cars, etc.

As many of the homes there were built from the late 60's to the early 80's and there was often a laudable emphasis on preserving as many trees as possible around one's home, in order to preserve rural character. That means that many properties (my parents' included) have homes that are ringed with trees nestled close in, many of which are now sadly being cut down. After one tree fell in a driving rainstorm and missed the bedroom part of their home by about a foot or two, my parents have themselves taken down no less than 4-6 trees in the last 3 years, with more scheduled to go.

Many people say that, for them, it's an insurance issue... Maybe that's why the evergreens went?

- Garris

Link to comment
Share on other sites


  • Replies 170
  • Created
  • Last Reply

That's really a shame... I can't speak for why they cut down the shrubs, but where my parents live in rustic New York State, there is a big trend right now of people cutting down trees that have the potential to die and fall on their homes. Some big storms in recent years have brought down trees that have crashed into people's houses, cars, etc.

As many of the homes there were built from the late 60's to the early 80's and there was often a laudable emphasis on preserving as many trees as possible around one's home, in order to preserve rural character. That means that many properties (my parents' included) have homes that are ringed with trees nestled close in, many of which are now sadly being cut down. After one tree fell in a driving rainstorm and missed the bedroom part of their home by about a foot or two, my parents have themselves taken down no less than 4-6 trees in the last 3 years, with more scheduled to go.

Many people say that, for them, it's an insurance issue... Maybe that's why the evergreens went?

- Garris

my mother's house has several trees within 10-15 feet of the house. one of these trees is less than 10 feet from it and another is leaning towards the house (that's the way it grew). she's really got no choice but to cut these 2 trees down. they both have a lot of large dead branches.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So this morning the subsidized housing building at the end of our street is in the process of cutting down a few large-ish evergreens (like 20'+) as well as some nice shrubs and whatnot. I dont know what the purpose is, but I'm not a fan. I have always enjoyed all the trees on our street. Bah.

Liam, could they be cutting them down to do some exterior work on the place? A condo complex near me cut down a bunch of trees to be able to paint the place and replace rotted wood. They will replace them with baby trees no doubt. Sheer laziness if you ask me, but a lot of times this happens.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Liam, could they be cutting them down to do some exterior work on the place? A condo complex near me cut down a bunch of trees to be able to paint the place and replace rotted wood. They will replace them with baby trees no doubt. Sheer laziness if you ask me, but a lot of times this happens.

It's hard to say really. Some of the shrubs they cut down are on the other side of the parking lot no where near the building. I hope they arent expanding the parking area - it serves as a buffer between our house and them...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Careful how you phrase that ("us and them"). Someone might come to your house with a hidden camera!

:)

Eeek!

I will go on the record as saying that the only neighbors we have ever had issue with are the sorority/fraternity type people in the condos behind us. The folks in the subsidized housing complex are always perfectly nice.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My parents have completely leveled almost every tree at their house for various reasons, mostly because it blocked sunlight from their pool.... A while back someone on this board coined the term "suburban ninnies", sadly, I think they are the definition of that term...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My parents have completely leveled almost every tree at their house for various reasons, mostly because it blocked sunlight from their pool.... A while back someone on this board coined the term "suburban ninnies", sadly, I think they are the definition of that term...

A neighbor of mine in another area I lived in (Quincy, MA which is not exactly a suburban area) was leveling all the trees on his property. When I asked why, he replied "If you want trees, go to the mountains. This is a city and people live here, not trees. "

Don't feel sad, there are plenty of urban ninnies as well.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A neighbor of mine in another area I lived in (Quincy, MA which is not exactly a suburban area) was leveling all the trees on his property. When I asked why, he replied "If you want trees, go to the mountains. This is a city and people live here, not trees. "

Don't feel sad, there are plenty of urban ninnies as well.

I can't wait til I own my own place. I want a small bungalow, right on the sidewalk on a 2,000 sq. ft. lot with a tiny backyard that looks like a thick amazonian jungle.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's hard to say really. Some of the shrubs they cut down are on the other side of the parking lot no where near the building. I hope they arent expanding the parking area - it serves as a buffer between our house and them...

That looks like the Marvin Gardens Apartment complex.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That looks like the Marvin Gardens Apartment complex.

I completely cant remember the name of this complex. It is on the corner of Cranston and Dexter St and it backs up to Harrison and Hammond streets. If it didnt exist my street would be a whole lot sketchier than it is. The apartments act as a nice buffer.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I completely cant remember the name of this complex. It is on the corner of Cranston and Dexter St and it backs up to Harrison and Hammond streets. If it didnt exist my street would be a whole lot sketchier than it is. The apartments act as a nice buffer.

Oh, that's 301 Cranston St. Can't remember the name though.

Oh, that's 301 Cranston St. Can't remember the name though.

Aaron Briggs apartments?????????????

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I met with the city forester last week,

I was amazed at how many fully grown trees are invasive and actually *bad*, or trees that are diseased and really should be brought down, though they look pretty healthy.

He said he wants to plan for 100 years, not 1, which makes sense, but I really hate taking out *any* tree when there are so few to begin with. Either way, it was an education in urban trees, and maybe that has something to do with these...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I met with the city forester last week,

I was amazed at how many fully grown trees are invasive and actually *bad*, or trees that are diseased and really should be brought down, though they look pretty healthy.

He said he wants to plan for 100 years, not 1, which makes sense, but I really hate taking out *any* tree when there are so few to begin with. Either way, it was an education in urban trees, and maybe that has something to do with these...

invasive plants are bad as they eventually work towards killing off native species.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

but I really hate taking out *any* tree when there are so few to begin with.

I kind of lean towards a plan to remove all dead, dying, diseased trees. Many of them contribute to blight (a dead tree is blight in my book, it says no one cares, like a broken window does). Removing all these trees would put us at the rock bottom base we are actually at, and maybe prompt people to realize how serious our tree problem is.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I kind of lean towards a plan to remove all dead, dying, diseased trees. Many of them contribute to blight (a dead tree is blight in my book, it says no one cares, like a broken window does). Removing all these trees would put us at the rock bottom base we are actually at, and maybe prompt people to realize how serious our tree problem is.

No, I agree with this...but he was pointing out trees for removal that still had some life in them to my very untrained eye. BUT, his reasoning was solid, so...as long as there is plan for replacement, then they gotta do what they gotta do.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

No, I agree with this...but he was pointing out trees for removal that still had some life in them to my very untrained eye. BUT, his reasoning was solid, so...as long as there is plan for replacement, then they gotta do what they gotta do.

Interesting article in today's Wall St. Journal on this subject. Here's an excerpt (that I hope is short enough to conform to UP's copyright policy):

Saving individual old trees is criticized by some tree experts, who deride it as "geriatric forestry." Rescues are labor-intensive and expensive, at prices that can run up to $30,000 per tree. Eric Oldar, who works for the California Department of Forestry, worries that too much focus on single trees could detract from the larger problem of cities eating away at the nation's forest canopy. The effort and money to save one old tree might be better spent protecting younger, more productive trees in the environment, he says.

Whether to save old trees comes down to measuring their value, and that's a tough call, says David Nowak, a forestry expert with the USDA Forest Service in Syracuse, N.Y. "Yes, we can keep it going. But what are you getting in return?" he asked. "Is that tree actually growing? Or is it just hanging on?"

Forestry experts agree that some old trees -- especially those with historical significance -- are worth saving at almost any cost. Deborah Gangloff, executive director of American Foresters, says such trees can be "living landmarks." "It's like paying to make sure the Liberty Bell or the Bull at Wall Street are maintained," she says.

Dr. Ribeiro believes people pay too much attention to what they can see, so when a tree appears to be dying, they rush to cut it down before it falls and causes damage.

Lately, he has focused his attention on the venerable old trees of the state capitol in Olympia. In 2003, he got together with Rob Lloyd, owner of Lloyd's Arboricultural Consulting in Battle Ground, Wash., and Neal Wolbert, president of Landscape Health Care in Olympia, to save a dying Norway Maple at risk of being cut down.

The team relies heavily on the air spade, a long-handled tube with a half-moon shield connected to an air compressor. The tool, designed to help excavate trees for moving, blasts away the dirt with high-pressure air that leaves roots undamaged. It allows Dr. Ribeiro to pinpoint root problems with surgical precision.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.