Puyallup, WA—The City of Puyallup Parks and Recreation Department will remove a tree from Pioneer Park in late January due to safety concerns and the tree’s declining health.
The tree is a Port Orford Cedar located on the south end of the park behind the Rotary Stage. The Cedar is showing signs of decline and is at risk of falling on the stage, which could endanger pedestrians and visitors to the park. Last year, the City hired an arborist to conduct an assessment of the tree’s health. City Parks and Recreation Director Cody Geddes comments on the arborist’s report.
“We received the report from a professional arborist, which essentially told us that the tree is trending towards High Risk, and it has been trending that direction for some time,” says Geddes. “Given the high pedestrian traffic that the park receives, it is important that we mitigate any risk associated with the tree falling on someone or the stage. Safety is our top priority, and the decision to remove the tree is our commitment to protecting our park visitors.”
The City will hire a contractor to remove the tree on January 30. On the same day, the City, in partnership with Pierce Conservation District, is hosting a tree-planting event in Bradley Lake Park to coincide with the Cedar’s removal. Residents are invited to volunteer for the event and help us plant new trees, symbols of growth and renewal that define the City’s Tree City USA status. The event will culminate with planting a new Cedar tree to honor the memory of the Port Orford Cedar in Pioneer Park. To volunteer for this event, please go to Pierce Conservation District’s website.
In addition to the planting event, the City is in talks with a wood sculpture artist to potentially refurbish the Port Orford Cedar stump into an artwork piece. Details are being worked out, and the City will announce more information about this in the coming month.
During the tree removal on January 30, sections of Pioneer Park will be closed to the public while the contractor works. There will be noise impacts to nearby residents, and the City appreciates everyone’s patience during the removal process.
For questions and more information about the Port Orford Cedar’s removal, please contact Cody Geddes at cgeddes@puyallupwa.gov. To volunteer for the tree planting event, please contact Bryan Mohlman with Pierce Conservation District at bryanm@piercecd.org.
Leave a Reply