ASHFIELD — Resident Mark Leue is going out on a limb, literally, in protest of the potential removal of two oak trees at Ashfield Town Beach.
Shaded by leaves, Leue got comfortable atop a 40-foot limb with his beach chair and umbrella as part of a demonstration that he himself said looked “ridiculous.” The future of the two oak trees, each “well over 100 years old” according to Parks Commission Chair Judy Haupt, was discussed at last week’s commission meeting as members consider how to protect both beachgoers and the bathhouse’s planned new roof from falling limbs.
Although Leue voiced concern that the commission may authorize the trees to be cut down in around two weeks, Haupt stressed that “no decision has been made to definitely cut down these trees.”
According to Leue, an arborist evaluated the oak trees two years ago after “suspicious” fungal growth was observed near their roots. The arborist determined that the trees were in decline, but were not imminent liabilities and could stay standing for another quarter-century while new trees grow, Leue said.
“Last year, another arborist told them yes, they needed to plant new trees, these trees would need to come down within 25 years,” Leue stated in a Facebook post. “This year, a different arborist said ‘sooner rather than later,’ so the Parks Commission made a quick decision because, you know, there’s ‘liability’ issues.”
Leue was out of state with his wife, former Parks Commission member Helene Leue, at the time of last week’s meeting. He said Helene later had a discussion with Haupt about the meeting, who allegedly communicated to her that a determination had been made for the trees to come down “imminently.”
“They are our trees and we’re just not ready to see them cut down in a couple weeks without a more thorough consideration,” he said.
Leue said he met with independent arborist Jim McSweeny on Saturday, “who confirmed what another arborist had said two years previously.”
“Those oak trees have many decades worth of life at the least to safely shade our park beach, and there is no reason to take them down as the Park Commission has hastily decided to do,” Leue wrote.
Leue said that when it comes to handling trees, “there are cutters and there are preservers.” In an effort to “raise awareness” and rally the latter, he planned to stay perched in the tree as long as he deemed reasonable, explaining that he would play it by ear. Leue predicted that day one of the protest, deemed “Occupy Oak,” would last until “supper time” on Monday afternoon.
Haupt wrote in an email Monday that the Parks Commission is “still gathering other arborists’ opinions” and “following the advice of one arborist and a former parks commissioner.”
“The commission is not preparing to do anything in the next two weeks, but whatever the recommendations are, it will be a public sharing,” she said. “We were hoping for just a trimming, but considering the condition of both trees, we are preparing for possibly more intensive measures. Because no decision has been made, the issue is still open, hence we are not at a ‘revisiting’ stage.”
Reach Julian Mendoza at 413-772-0261, ext. 261 or jmendoza@recorder.com.