FOLIO
Words by Fran Havey
’Tis probably the Irish in me, but I am, admittedly, a tree mourner.
Folks may not know that Ireland was once filled with great forests of majestic oaks. Then, by the end of the 19th century, Ireland’s forest cover and mighty oaks had gone from 80% to 1% and with it went an unexpected consequence, a healthy soil.
You see, oaks are one of nature’s most valuable trees, for oaks improve soil fertility by adding essential nutrients but also enhance soil structure, which aids in water retention and aeration. Yet Ireland’s past used them for other purposes, including shipbuilding, furniture making, tanning leather, and iron smelting – never realizing that eventually, the day would come when the last of the forests would be cut down by mobile sawmills.
Today, in northern Orange Park in Clay County, on Papaya Drive North, such a mobile sawmill took out several healthy trees, hundreds of years old, mostly longleaf pines, and one great oak.
Were these mature trees unhealthy or a hazard begs the question?
I spoke with the Eagerton Tree Service men who brought in an army of tall cranes, trucks, and other wood demolition equipment. “Yes,” I was told by a crew member, “the trees are diseased.” And then he laughed because he was just kidding. The crew member also said insurance rates would go down by removing the risk from trees and “a roof costs $20,000.”
Having more than wee doubts about the insurance statement, I called Tower Hill mortgage insurance and learned that 99% of the time, insurance rates are not adjusted due to the trees on a property, so the tree service was telling a tall tale as another 100 feet of native pine was brought down — more jokes, perhaps. Of course, keeping pruned tree branches that scrape a roof may help keep your insurance from being canceled but trimming is always smart because it supports a tree’s health.
Was there an offer by Eagerton or a suggestion to just trim the trees? An Eagerton sales rep took my information to pass on to the company’s owner.
I also spoke with neighbors who said during the tree removal process, “Makes me sick.” Another just quietly offered, “I want to cry.” “It’s disgusting, like that tree in England, the Sycamore Gap tree, the one that was seen in the ‘Robin Hood’ movie and once stood in a dip next to Hadrian’s Wall until those two jerks cut it down — at least, they’re going on trial.”
I wanted to talk with the home’s owner but it’s a rental, with the owner living miles away, northwest of Jacksonville in Bryceville. There’s a P.O. Box but no telephone number.
Rental property. Rental culture. In Orange Park, the estimates according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey are that 40% of occupied homes are rentals. These distant-owned properties exist for profits, not to contribute to the strength of a neighborhood. How does that impact community welfare?
Just look at the latest stumps on Papaya Drive North, trees cut down for an occasional fallen branch or to make room for an above-ground swimming pool, the still living tombstones of stately pines and an oak that held shade and food for wildlife and a beauty that took decades and decades to develop for all to share.
And there, nearby, a growing gathering of tree mourners stand. I know because I am one of them. To console myself, this holiday season, a living, Blue Point Juniper will be adorned with twinkling lights, a bright sentry over gifts that show love and appreciation for all. Come spring, this same juniper will be planted in my yard, a heartfelt reminder for lost pines and another noble oak.
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