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[IBC] Offtopic: Killing an Oak Tree (A Gratuitous Death)
http://www.counterpunch.org/jackson01252003.html
The author articulates perfectly my *own* feelings when seeing the destruction of the forests around my home to make way for yet another 400+ townhouse gated community, each with its own postage stamp of turf and sickly malus. David J. Bockman, Fairfax, VA (USDA Hardiness Zone 7) Bunabayashi Bonsai On The World Wide Web: http://www.bunabayashi.com email: ************************************************** ****************************** ++++Sponsored, in part, by Jerry Meislik++++ ************************************************** ****************************** -- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ -- +++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++ |
#3
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[IBC] Offtopic: Killing an Oak Tree (A Gratuitous Death)
The most recent clearcutting is a little less than a mile from my home, a
gorgeous tract of rolling wooded hills about 40 acres or so in size. These were woods I played endlessly in as a child. White and red oak, turkey oak, chestnut oak, the odd black walnut, native persimmon, and hickory.... beech, our native hornbeam, native rhodos and hollies were everywhere. Sitting on this parcel is a magnificent (although now decrepit) mansion built at the turn of the 20th century. I knew the owners at one point, the mother of one of my friends worked as an ASPCA investigator breaking up illegal dogfighting rings with her extremely timid-but-fierce-looking pitbull Sally. The home has wide, wide yellow pine flooring, gorgeous black walnut trim throughout.... just a wonderful old home. It's slowly being demolished as well. Perhaps most egregious of all, just at the edge of the property line sits (now sat) a huge old red oak, 300+ years old, approximately 8 feet in diameter at eye level.... they cut that down a week ago. It will all be raw, terraformed clay in another week, ready for construction. David J. Bockman, Fairfax, VA (USDA Hardiness Zone 7) Bunabayashi Bonsai On The World Wide Web: http://www.bunabayashi.com email: -----Original Message----- From: Internet Bonsai Club ]On Behalf Of Jim Lewis Sent: Friday, January 31, 2003 8:22 AM To: Subject: [IBC] Offtopic: Killing an Oak Tree (A Gratuitous Death) http://www.counterpunch.org/jackson01252003.html The author articulates perfectly my *own* feelings when seeing the destruction of the forests around my home to make way for yet another 400+ townhouse gated community, each with its own postage stamp of turf and sickly malus. Yet ANOTHER argument for birth control. BUT, keep an eye on the building permits list and get there ahead of the bulldozers. ************************************************** ****************************** ++++Sponsored, in part, by Jerry Meislik++++ ************************************************** ****************************** -- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ -- +++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++ |
#4
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[IBC] Offtopic: Killing an Oak Tree (A Gratuitous Death)
Gee! If it falls on his neighbor, during the felling process, maybe the
neighbor will qualify for one of the Darwin Society awards. Bart ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jim Lewis" To: Sent: Friday, January 31, 2003 8:21 AM Subject: [IBC] Offtopic: Killing an Oak Tree (A Gratuitous Death) http://www.counterpunch.org/jackson01252003.html The author articulates perfectly my *own* feelings when seeing the destruction of the forests around my home to make way for yet another 400+ townhouse gated community, each with its own postage stamp of turf and sickly malus. Yet ANOTHER argument for birth control. BUT, keep an eye on the building permits list and get there ahead of the bulldozers. Jim Lewis - - Tallahassee, FL - "People, when Columbus discovered this country, it was plum full of nuts and berries. And I'm right here to tell you the berries are just about all gone." -- Uncle Dave Macon, old-time musician ************************************************** ************************** **** ++++Sponsored, in part, by Jerry Meislik++++ ************************************************** ************************** **** -- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ -- +++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++ ************************************************** ****************************** ++++Sponsored, in part, by Jerry Meislik++++ ************************************************** ****************************** -- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ -- +++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++ |
#5
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[IBC] Offtopic: Killing an Oak Tree (A Gratuitous Death)
"David J. Bockman" wrote:
The most recent clearcutting is a little less than a mile from my home, a gorgeous tract of rolling wooded hills about 40 acres or so in size. snip Perhaps most egregious of all, just at the edge of the property line sits (now sat) a huge old red oak, 300+ years old, approximately 8 feet in diameter at eye level.... they cut that down a week ago. It will all be raw, terraformed clay in another week, ready for construction. David J. Bockman, Fairfax, VA (USDA Hardiness Zone 7) Bunabayashi Bonsai On The World Wide Web: http://www.bunabayashi.com email: Same thing going on where I live, David. Orange County is the fastest growing area in NY State because of the proximity to NYC. I have an elderly parishoner, a retired farmer, who has given me permission to collect on his 180-acre farm that has been in his family for 250 years. He has Parkinson's Disease, and knows he won't live forever. He said I may as well have some of the trees, since he realizes that after he's gone the whole thing will undoubtedly be developed. His beautiful farm is surounded by McMansions. Craig Cowing NY Zone 5b/6a ************************************************** ****************************** ++++Sponsored, in part, by Jerry Meislik++++ ************************************************** ****************************** -- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ -- +++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++ |
#6
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[IBC] Offtopic: Killing an Oak Tree (A Gratuitous Death)
"David J. Bockman" wrote:
The most recent clearcutting is a little less than a mile from my home, a gorgeous tract of rolling wooded hills about 40 acres or so in size. snip Perhaps most egregious of all, just at the edge of the property line sits (now sat) a huge old red oak, 300+ years old, approximately 8 feet in diameter at eye level.... they cut that down a week ago. It will all be raw, terraformed clay in another week, ready for construction. Same thing going on where I live, David. Orange County is the fastest growing area in NY State because of the proximity to NYC. I have an elderly parishoner, a retired farmer, who has given me permission to collect on his 180-acre farm that has been in his family for 250 years. He has Parkinson's Disease, and knows he won't live forever. He said I may as well have some of the trees, since he realizes that after he's gone the whole thing will undoubtedly be developed. His beautiful farm is surounded by McMansions. Well, you guys could all move to Florida. We've never _heard_ of development down here! Of course we have NO native forest left that isn't either in the hands of the state (thankfully) or groups like the Nature Conservancy (thankfully also, but they then sell it to the state at exhorbitant prices). Of course, we do have gazillions of square miles of second-growth forests that are still healthy (if scrubby) and gazillions squared square miles of planted pines which are, in effect, ecological deserts. Jim Lewis - - Tallahassee, FL - "Pssst! Wanna buy some swampland? Cheap!" ************************************************** ****************************** ++++Sponsored, in part, by Jerry Meislik++++ ************************************************** ****************************** -- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ -- +++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++ |
#7
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[IBC] Offtopic: Killing an Oak Tree (A Gratuitous Death)
Please, David, don't equate clear-cutting a forest with downing a single oak
tree as noted in the article you posted: http://www.counterpunch.org/jackson01252003.html The ignorant author apparently isn't aware it is not the unhealthy hollow oaks that are the greatest threat to falling and causing damage. It is the top-flush large trees that catch wind and and are literally thrown over because of their short roots. I had seven dropped by the wind in the back yard of my home one afternoon-- all huge! My mother lost 2 bedrooms to a fallen oak in what was called a "shearing wind shift." The incidents were 2 years apart, though those oaks were each over 40 years old. I call it "chink... chink... chink"... the sound of dollars escaping nearly as fast as an Enron moment. Unless the tree hits your home, homeowners' insurance could care less. If it hits your home, you are lucky if not standing under the piercing limbs. Trees can be deadly missles, too... :-(. Heavily flush oak tree limbs should be trimmed in the landscape. I would smile on my neighbors who cut 'em down or substantially trim them. The lawn tree can be too wild! Best wishes, Chris... C. Cochrane, , Richmond VA USA The author articulates perfectly my *own* feelings when seeing the destruction of the forests around my home to make way for yet another 400+ townhouse gated community, each with its own postage stamp of turf and sickly malus. David J. Bockman... ************************************************** ****************************** ++++Sponsored, in part, by Jerry Meislik++++ ************************************************** ****************************** -- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ -- +++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++ |
#8
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[IBC] Offtopic: Killing an Oak Tree (A Gratuitous Death)
The ignorant author apparently isn't aware it is not the unhealthy hollow oaks that are the greatest threat to falling and causing damage. It is the top-flush large trees that catch wind and and are literally thrown over because of their short roots. And the fact that they are top-heavy. These kinds of trees are common in "wooded" lots around the USA. These lots USED to be forest, so the trees are tall and slim, with all the foliage at the top -- where the light USED to be. When the forest is cleared, leaving one or two "specimen: trees in the lot as "amenities" you have a few large-boled, heavy-topped, "popsicle" trees (NOT the shape you'd choose as a bonsai) that whip around in a stiff wind, eventually loosening the roots (which were relatively small because of all the competition with other -- now rotted away -- roots in the former forest. Jim Lewis - - Tallahassee, FL - "The corporate state wastes the earth, dislocates minds, (and) corrupts all areas of science" - Daniel Berrigan, SJ ************************************************** ****************************** ++++Sponsored, in part, by Jerry Meislik++++ ************************************************** ****************************** -- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ -- +++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++ |
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