CITY TO REPLACE TREES

ON WILDER AVENUE

            (Monday, July 20, 2009) – The City’s Department of Parks and Recreation will be replacing 21 Yokewood trees lining both sides of Wilder Avenue, between Dole and Metcalf streets.  Work begins tomorrow, Tuesday, July 21.

            Slated for replacement are 12 Yokewood trees on the mauka side of the street and nine on the makai side.  The trees on the mauka side have been severely damaged by excessive pruning by the utility company to keep limbs away from utility lines.  Some of the trees on the makai side are decaying, while others have grown too large and are buckling the sidewalks.

            The trees will be replaced by a combination of 24 podocarpus and tecoma trees, with replanting beginning soon after the removal.

            Parks Director Les Chang, whose department oversees the City’s urban forestry program, said, “It’s unfortunate that these old trees have to be replaced.  Trees, like all living things, have a finite life span.  These trees have reached the end of theirs, making replacement necessary for public safety reasons.

“The City hired a landscape architect to help design our replacement plan on Wilder Avenue, and we believe the public will be pleased with the results of our master-planned approach to planting and maintaining our trees.”

            The Outdoor Circle, area Neighborhood Board, and other community groups were consulted on the project.

            In addition to the work on Wilder Avenue, the City will also replace several of its pine trees on Beckwith Street.  That work is scheduled to begin on July 27^th.  The City determined that the pines are failing and need to be replaced for public safety reasons. The pines will be replaced with fern podocarpus trees. 

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Contact:

Bill Brennan, 768-6928

Lester Chang, Parks Director, 768-3001