Let’s talk about trees,

Baker City is a tree city. It’s a nice title to have. But we have a problem. Many of the biggest and best trees are getting old. Just in the past two weeks I’ve seen three different incidents with trees snapping and falling. Most recently, just this morning in my neighborhood. A central branch on a big tree snapped overnight and was hanging down in the road as I walked by at 5 a.m.

The other two falls are on that piece of property recently cleared to make a new park off D Street. One is a huge limb that broke off. The other is a whole tree that became uprooted. The tops of all these trees are dead wood. Windowmakers. … There will never be a park here until all of these trees have been trimmed down. Too dangerous.

The rest of the city is in danger because of these old trees. Question is, who’s going to address it? And where is the money going to come from for the extensive work ahead?

Dan Collins

Baker City