12/20/2006

Tree's life, limbs spared

By Christine Finger

cfinger@record-eagle.com

LELAND — Leelanau County road commissioners granted a reprieve to a towering, landmark tree in downtown Leland while a group of residents asks experts whether it should be left standing.

Commissioners on Dec. 5 voted 2 to 1 to cut down the landmark tree on River Street after neighbors complained about it shedding large limbs. They said verbal consultations with foresters pointed out a weak spot about 40 feet up the tree where it could easily break apart.

But commissioners on Tuesday unanimously voted to rescind that motion, which called for the tree to be felled in January. The action came after a group of residents started a private fundraising campaign to pay for more assessments.

Leland resident Jim Carpenter said the preservation group hired three experts to examine the tree and will present written results to the road commission before the end of January. He said members will accept the results of those independent studies, even if they say the tree should come down.

"These experts are legit. They know their business,” Carpenter said.

Leland Township board members last week unanimously approved a resolution supporting the group's efforts to get a professional report on the tree's health.

Road commission chairman Glen Noonan said the action taken by township officials swayed his opinion. The township in October referred concerns about the tree's safety to the road commission.

"Our concerns have not changed,” he said.

Commissioners did not set a deadline for receiving reports from the citizens group, but said the board could take future action if necessary on the tree issue.

David Milarch, co-founder of Champion Tree Project International, said the landmark Leland tree, planted 105 years ago near the entrance to Fishtown, is a "state champion” and the largest living of its species in Michigan. The massive cottonwood, which also has been called a white poplar, likely is a hybrid of several similar tree species, he said.