The city’s plans for what remains of the giant coastal redwood and its two lesser oak neighbors, cut down April 10 at Memorial Park , were revealed Monday.
In the weeks preceding the tree’s removal, City Manager Will Worthey, city staff members and the Newberg City Council considered options to memorialize the redwood in some way, a release from the city said.
“Newberg’s city council and staff heard deep concern and sorrow from the community over losing the redwood,” the release stated. “This response to the tree’s removal has been influential in directing ongoing formalization of tree management methods and revision of the list of trees recommended for planning in Newberg. These efforts will help the city move toward more responsible and sustainable tree management practices for the future.”
To that end, the city plans to keep the lumber generated by milling the trees within the city. The lumber is destined to be milled into decking boards and table slices “to be used in a variety of ways by local woodworkers and makers,” the city said.
Those interested in the redwood lumber can email Worthey at will.worthey@newbergoregon.gov with their contact information and a brief description of how they intend to use the wood.
The branches and small pieces of the redwood and two white oak trees were chipped and will be utilized by the Chehalem Park and Recreation District for trails and other uses. The cord wood cut from the oak trees was given to the local post of the Veterans of Foreign War, who will split it, age it and then donate it to Newberg FISH emergency service for distribution to low-income families to heat their homes.
The city has selected and planted six saplings in Memorial Park since the legacy trees were felled.
“These will thrive in the park and provide natural beauty and shade for future generations,” the city said.
Relocation of the nearby gazebo , a memorial to military veterans, is still under consideration. Memorial plaques have been removed and are being stored at the city’s public works yard. CPRD workers have removed and transplanted the rhododendrons that surrounded the gazebo to its greenhouse until the gazebo is relocated.
Fate of trees set by proximity to infrastructure
Removal of the trees engendered significant controversy in the community after the city’s plans were revealed in March. Had the redwood not been removed significant damage to a major stormwater pipe, as well as to a nearby sidewalk and Blaine Street, would have continued unabated, city officials explained.
Sustainable Solutions Group of the Newberg-Dundee Area, the advocacy group that opposed removal of the tree, bemoaned the loss of the tree and the manner the city adopted to address the issue. The organization asked the city to explore other options instead of felling the tree, and to seek funding for a sustainable solution to downtown stormwater runoff and the other damage to nearby infrastructure.
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