AJC > Sandy Springs > Blog > Archives > 2007 > December > 03 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USSaving trees: Getting to the root of a problem
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Several months ago I wrote - in jest - that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie had come to town and adopted all the trees in Sandy Springs as a way to protect them from being chopped down by developers. Now it appears we don’t need Brangelia after all - thank goodness.
A group has organized, Trees Sandy Springs, with the goal of taking care of trees around the city. Dare I say that within weeks of putting the dog park issue to bed, there is no better time to start thinking of the welfare of our trees. Get it? Dogs. Trees. Ahem.
Protecting trees around town has come a rallying point for many Sandy Springsteens in the last couple of years as residential development has exploded. Developers are buying older homes, knocking them down and building bigger and more modern houses. But along the way some were also clear-cutting the land, which meant a lot of fine old trees were disappearing without a second thought.
Now don’t get me wrong - every single tree in Sandy Springs is not sacred. There are about a dozen pines on my lot that I would gladly turn into firewood if I ever hit the lottery.
But there’s a great magnolia in our front yard that’s been here as long as the house has. And a Japanese maple that my dad and grandfather planted. I’d hate for either to be run through the chipper.
And there are dozens of hardwoods throughout our neighborhood that I would likewise hate to see dropped simply to make building a house a little easier.
A lot of those trees have been around for decades and add character and beauty to the ‘hood. Not to mention they’re home for all manner of critters. And they help clean the air. Considering the number of cars belching noxious emissions, our air can use all the help it can get.
So it’s a good thing that the trees now have their own advocates. Other than the reasons already stated for keeping them around kids need trees for climbing and for rope swings. We adults need the shade on hot days. And as I alluded to before, our dogs would really miss not having any trees.
But for those of you who really need to rip nature out by the roots, take heart. There’s plenty of kudzu around town and last I checked no one has adopted that.
Permalink | Comments (7) | Post your comment | Categories: Jim Osterman
Comments
By Sensible Tree Killer
December 4, 2007 10:44 AM | Link to this
Don’t get me wrong I love trees, who wouldn’t? But the reality is when building homes it doesn’t make sense to try and save every tree. More than likely if you did try, you would cause root damage that would eventually kill or weaken the tree that would potentially fall on a house and kill the occupants. Were there tree activists 50 years ago when Sandy Springs was clear cut to build the subdivision you now live in? Save trees where it makes sense.
By Jefferson Davis
December 4, 2007 12:07 PM | Link to this
People and trees are both good, however if I get squirrels running around on my roof, or in my attic, because of a tree hanging over or if an old tree is dropping large limbs on my roof endangering my life or my property, I am cutting it down - and the Sandy Springs Tree Nazis can kiss my rear end.
By Bob
December 4, 2007 2:00 PM | Link to this
Does anybody understand what it takes to save a tree, I’m a Landscape Architect and it kills me to see trees destroyed, but for the advocates that don’t have a clue, let me tell you something, trees must have roots to survive, duh, all hardwoods have lateral roots that are about 6” below ground, hence your driveways cracking due to roots. A 20” oak trees roots will sprawl out to at least 20’ in every direction. So what you DON’T see is what makes it very difficult to save. All of a sudden, to save a 20 inch tree you have to stay away at least 20’. And don’t think by filling on top of a tree or it’s roots will save it, roots need to breathe. So when you’re an advocate for these trees, think first before mouthing off about why a developer can’t save more trees. It’s not like Atlanta is flat! We can all control growth, just keep in mind what it takes to do it!
By Tim
December 4, 2007 2:33 PM | Link to this
It’s a fact that any extra cost spent on saving a tree while building a home is more than realized in the added value of the home. While some trees are too close to the home to be saved, most of the trees are cut down needlessly.
By Be Realistic
December 4, 2007 4:18 PM | Link to this
I love the big oak trees on my property but have a number of very tall spindly pine trees that I’m afraid of snapping off and landing on the house everytime the wind blows. I would love to be able to cut these hazards down. If my home is damaged by a falling tree you can be sure that the City of Atlanta is going to be on the receiving end of a lawsuit. I just want to take care of my property. Tree ordinances would be better received by the public if they were more realistic.
By Derek Korn
December 4, 2007 11:24 PM | Link to this
I spent at least an hour today blowing leaves with great relaxing satisfaction. I spend many hours all year on my back porch enjoying the tall beautiful trees around here. I bought my current house on Spalding Drive with a lot of emphasis on the trees behind the house. I stayed in a rental house for years partially because of the huge acreage with rolling hills and canopy of trees. I import recycled wood furniture product and guess what?…. I grew up in Sandy Springs(45 years now). So do you think the trees around here had an impact on me?
By Sensible Tree Killer
December 5, 2007 1:51 PM | Link to this
The great thing about trees…they are renewable. Save a tree that has historical significance…say a 100-year old white oak. Why save a 30-year old pine that is liable to fall and kill someone? Cut it and require the builder to plant 3- more in its place and the cycle will begin once again. And again, when all of the Sandy Springs ranch houses were being built after WWII rest assure that hardly a tree was saved and yet here we are today in a virtual forest.