They could have planted a replacement, in an ideal location, for far cheaper.
And that’s what they should have done.
Considering Houston is losing millions of $$$ worth of trees due to the drought. this seems a little excessive.
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League City was settled at the former site of a Karankawa Indian village. Three families, the Butlers, Cowarts, and Perkinses, are considered to be founding families of the city. The Cowart family settled on a creek now called Cowart’s Creek after them (now often called “Coward’s Creek”). The Perkins family built on a creek notably lined with magnolia trees, and named it Magnolia Bayou. The Butler family settled inland.
The first resident of the town proper, George W. Butler, arrived from Louisiana in 1873 and settled at the junction of Clear Creek and Chigger Bayou. The area was known as Butler’s Ranch or Clear Creek until J. C. League acquired the land from a man named Muldoon on his entering the priesthood. League laid out his town site on Galveston, Houston, and Henderson Railroad, already established in the area. This began a small feud over the name, as Butler was the postmaster. The name was changed several times, alternating between Clear Creek and the new League City. In the end, League City was chosen.
In 1907, League had two railroad flatcars of live oak trees left by the railroad tracks. These were for the residents to plant on their property. Butler and his son Milby supervised the planting of these trees, now known as the Butler Oaks. Many of them line Main Street to this day.
WHAT’S THAT YOU SAY?
$30,000 to cut down a tree?
It is so easy to spend other people’s money.
What would any of them have done if this tree was at their house
and was in danger of falling on their house?
Spend $500,000 to move the house?
Spend $300,000 to move the tree?
Or just cut the damn thing down?
(I’ll do it for a mere $29, 000)
Video of “Big Al” oak tree in New Iberia, LA, being moved by La. Dotd. Costs $300,000. I’m waiting for a hurricane to take care of that investment.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XMze3uKlpk
“Is it really worth a million dollars in taxpayer money to save one tree? I say no.”
I live in a city with “heritage oaks.” The city would MUCH rather you go out of business than you cut down a tree. Also, if the Greens thought you were cutting down a tree you’d be picket and the news would cover it and interview the picketers.
I watched a company build a building on a lot where there were two such trees. The builders did incredible things to keep the trees safe; until the building was finished. It was obvious from the tiny lot and the design that the trees would make using the building impossible. But, the building was finished and there was no access to the parking lot once the required curbs, drainage and sidewalks were in.
I drove by Friday afternoon and the trees were there. On Monday morning they were gone; not a trace! Somehow the builders had kept the tree-huggers happy and satisfied until the building was done and then over the weekend; they cut them down and took away every scrap. I have no idea what fines they paid, but the fines would surely be less than the multi-million dollar building sitting empty and unusable.
My suggested solution; spray the tree with tree-kill around 1am. A million is too much. Ten-thousand is too much. A thousand is too much. You can plant another tree.
These figures are higher than those reported in the Galveston Daily News. To move the tree or to re-route Louisiana were estimated at about $250,000 - $270,000 (IIRC). Still costly, to be sure. Nevertheless, after Galveston’s loss of so many gorgeous oaks as a result of Ike, I can’t bear to lose another majestic tree.
I’m all for their planting a bunch of new trees if they want. And I’ll be happy for the generations around at that time to enjoy them. But I won’t be one of them, so I’m not willing to give up this tree.
I think they could find a creative way to raise the funds to re-route Louisiana (my preference). SAVE THE TREE!
A few years back, I and some friends were cutting down a huge oak in my front yard when some local ditz came by and started yelling at us for doing it, I hollered out to her to go to hell and mind her own business.
I also told her that the tree was deader than her brain and was a threat to my house.
Option 4: Don’t expand the road at all.
Of course in Texas, most everything is considered the biggest and best, regardless of the facts.
Anyway, anyplace between Houston and Galveston, where League City is found, is pretty much a fever-filled, mosquito infested swamp.
A million dollars to save one tree.
Millions of dollars to create a handful of green jobs.
Billions of dollars to kill unborn babies.
Trillions of dollars to maintain the status quo and keep the taxpayer-funded gravy train running.
Nothing wrong with this picture, eh?
Sorry folks. Nothing to see here. Everything is fine. Move along and go back to what you were doing. Or we’ll send cops from the Fullerton P.D. to your house and beat you into a bloody pulp.