A federal land agency has plans to cut down an enormous, century-old cottonwood tree at the popular San Pedro House near Sierra Vista because the decaying tree poses a danger to visitors — but hundreds of people have signed a petition opposing the tree removal.
They describe the cottonwood as “iconic” and “magnificent,” and want it to be left standing until it dies naturally. Fencing, which is already in place around the tree, will protect the public from harm, they say.
But officials of the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area, where the tree has been growing for an estimated 90 to 130 years, say extensive studies by a certified arborist determined that the tree poses a serious risk to public safety, even with a fence in place.
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management, which oversees the site, is accepting public comments through July 29 before making a final decision on cutting down the tree. Comments should be substantive rather than simply for or against cutting, and they should be emailed to blm_az_tfoweb@blm.gov by July 29.
REMOVAL RATIONALE
“The reason for the proposed action (removing the tree) is based purely on safety,” said Pamela Mathis, acting district manager for the Bureau of Land Management’s Tucson office.
“You have to look at the height of the tree and the sheer volume and weight. Even a branch falling would be detrimental if someone was under it,” Mathis said. “If it were to fall, a fence would not withstand that kind of pressure,” putting visitors in danger.
She emphasized that the scenic San Pedro House site is an area with a “concentration of humans and property, an area where people gather and picnic.”
Mathis noted that the arborist who studied the situation came to this conclusion: “The decay of the tree is basically advanced beyond recovery and that it is not known how long the tree will hold together, but that the signs are there for a catastrophic failure. The trunk is buckling, tree supports such as brace rods and cabling are not advised.”
Pruning the tree to the point where it no longer posed a danger would reduce it to “just a stump,” Mathis said.
The cost of removing the tree?
“Just to cut it down would be somewhere in the vicinity of $40,000,” Mathis said
The bureau’s proposal also calls for pruning, but not removing, another cottonwood tree very near the site’s visitor center.
The arborist found that decay has caused some branches to fall off the tree but that pruning would greatly minimize the risk of it falling.
REMOVAL OPPONENTS
About 900 people have signed a petition asking the bureau to “not cut down the magnificent cottonwood tree that is the centerpiece of the San Pedro House site.”
“The tree is certainly decaying. It’s dying, and we all understand and acknowledge that,” said Tricia Gerrodette, an environmental activist and opponent of the tree-removal plan. “But all of us who are concerned and passionate about the tree feel it should be allowed to die naturally.
“That would offer a tremendous learning opportunity as well. People could see the stages of its decay and death.”
Gerrodette noted that the BLM has had the tree site fenced off from the public since early this year. A limb of the tree is resting atop a nearby log building.
“We don’t have any problem with keeping the public out for safety,” she said. “We just want the tree to expire on its own instead of being terminated.”
Erick Campbell, a former project manager for the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area, said, “That tree is an absolute icon.”
“It’s important to many, many people who use the San Pedro,” Campbell said. “The Friends of the San Pedro (group) have volunteered to pay for a wrought iron fence around the tree for human safety. BLM’s excuse is that it can’t accept gifts from the public.”
Campbell, a co-founder of the Friends of the San Pedro, said the group has “donated hundreds of thousands of hours to management of that property down there. What do you mean they can’t accept gifts? The Friends run tours every week and staff not only the San Pedro House but also the Fairbank School (another site along the San Pedro River).
“It is just that someone made a decision and they are not willing to look at alternatives.”
to GET TO SAN PEDRO HOUSE
From Tucson, drive east on Interstate 10 to Benson and take Arizona 90 south to Sierra Vista and the junction with Arizona 92. From the junction, continue east on Arizona 90 about 7 miles to a signed, right-hand turnoff for the San Pedro House.
