Madison Loses Tree; Masons Still Standing!

A moment, dear friends, for the passing of a tree:

On this glorious spring day, we lose one of our woody friends, the tree that stood by the northeast corner of the Masonic temple at the heart of our fair city. As part of the city's planned alley renovation, the Madison Arborcare crew was dispatched by our leaders to fell the tree.

It was not the biggest or oldest tree in town. It was a bit scraggly. Its branches grew too close to the east wall and roof.

But it was a tree... and I take the passing of no tree lightly. Take a tree down, plant a new one to replace it... I should go get a sapling or three, restore the cosmic balance.

Some small condolence: the opportunity to watch cool machines at work! Look at that crane—sitting down, pulling levers... that's sure not how Dad had me load wood when I was little!

More satisfying for all will be the replacement of all those overhead wires and the big poles and transformer with underground equipment. Our first downtown block will look a little cleaner.

Now if we could just shore up and spiff up that Masonic temple. Hmm... ;-)

Thune Agrees: Spending Govt Money on Pine Beetles Good

More federal money for South Dakota: Uncle Sam is sending us $2 million to fight the pine beetle infestation in the Black Hills. Helping bring home this dirty, deficit-boosting, dependency-inspiring federal money—Republican Senator John Thune:

Originally, Forest Service officials said the money would not be used directly in South Dakota but would be focused on heavy beetle infestations in Colorado and southern Wyoming.

Thune said he wrote Vilsack outlining what he called the unique needs of the Black Hills National Forest.

“This will come as very welcome news to those who have been working hard to protect the Black Hills,” Thune said in a press release Monday. “This infestation is having a dramatic effect on forests in the region and action needs to be taken before the situation deteriorates further. This infestation is leaving forests and the surrounding areas vulnerable to fire and watershed degradation” [Steve Miller, "Black Hills Gets $2 Million to Fight Pine Beetles," Rapid City Journal, 2010.02.08]

Typical Republican hypocrisy on federal spending. They spend far too much time bashing the government as a simplistic campaign ploy rather than taking the time to calmly explain the vital role government plays in helping us solve problems like the pine beetle infestation.

The pine beetle infestation is a terrible problem of our own making. Climate change expands the beetle's habitat with milder winters. Worse, our forest management practices give the beetles more to eat. As eager reader Larry Kurtz has explained to me, the Black Hills used to have much thinner tree growth. Fires and natural cycles of beetle infestation would clear out the trees, leaving a fair amount of wide open spaces that made it harder for the beetles to smorgasbord-hop from tree to tree. The best way to tackle the beetle is to remove its food—i.e., remove trees, and return the Black Hills to a more natural state with more open spaces.

Tree-Sidewalk Update: Trees Pretty Close... Just Like City and Contractors?

On my way to class, I swung by 721 N. Catherine, site of six mighty firs threatened by the city's proposed round of sidewalk installation for the coming year. I was curious: just how close are the trees to the proposed walkway?

Darn close.

View east, toward intersection of 7th St. and Catherine Ave., Madison, SD (Click photo to enlarge)

I can see the Gwynnes' problem: we'd need to strip a lot of branches just to make room for a paving stone walkway, like what Ms. Schave recommends, right next to the curb.

Big fir trees on north side of 721 N. Catherine, Madison, SD (Click photo to enlarge)

The trees do form a good windbreak, protecting the house from the stiff north winds on the western edge of Madison. Given the electric rate increases in town, I'd want to keep any energy-saving advantage I had.

In other news from the street, I checked out Mr. Gilbert's complaint that a sidewalk on his West Avenue property (which is east of Catherine Ave.) "will lead to a dead end as 7th Street does not continue through." It's not quite a "dead end": to the east, 7th Steeet makes a T with Chicago Ave., which heads straight north to the elementary school.

But here's where I sympathize completely with Mr. Gilbert: He notes that the city ordinance requires "All work to be constructed by licensed contractors in accordance with standard City of Madison specifications..." (clause 8 in each of the City's sidewalk ordinances).

Last year, my brother and his hired man installed a sidewalk all by themselves. Is there any reason the city should prohibit a couple enterprising fellas with a skid steer and some forms from doing their own work? I can understand the requirement to build sidewalks for public safety, but the requirement to hire an expensive contractor when a homeowner is perfectly capable of doing the work himself sounds like more favoritism for the city's chosen business buddies.

Also on tonight's City Commission agenda, on the very last page of the packet: Craig Williams' application for a Sidewalk Builder's license. Fee $20; required bond, $500. Brad, consider submitting your application!

Save the Trees! Madison Sidewalk Rule Threatens Catherine Ave. Firs

Tucked away in tonight's Madison City Commission agenda packet (page 42 of the PDF), after all the alcohol license requests, a letter from Arthur and June Gwynne of 721 North Catherine Avenue, seeking relief from deforestation:

We recently received notification of Resolution of Necessity #2730. Our main concern is the welfare and preservation of 6 magnificent, 30 ft. plus, fir trees that would perish in accordance with requirements of SDCL 9-46-3.

We have spent over $200.00 per year to have these trees treated to resist damaging diseases and pestilence. Therefore, we are proposing a concession that would satisfy the "Resolution of necessity", and save 4 of the 6 trees in question.

We would appreciate an opportunity to have a City Representative visit us in order for us to present our "Tree Saving Plan." [Arthur and June Gwynne, letter to Madison Sidewalk Committee, 2009.12.02]

The Gwynnes sound pretty level-headed in this letter. They're even willing to compromise, offering a plan that would still sacrifice two trees. But heck, I'd rather keep all six. Catherine Ave. is a nice quiet street. If it keeps that shade and windbreak there, let's run that sidewalk right along the curb, or just skip it all together.

The Gwynnes aren't the only unhappy residents facing sidewalk expense. See complaining missives from Mr. Brad Gilbert of 722 N. West Ave., on page 46 of the agenda packet, as well as K. Hein, Marlene Oldre (who would lose a crab tree and a safety rail), Ed Swanson (who thinks the city should put a sidewalk along the highway east from the Dairy Queen first), Roger Southmayd, Tom Halverson (who expresses the grouchiness of a lot of Madisonites when he says, "I assume this 'discussion & review' process is a mere formality and the decision has already been made"), and Omar El-Gayar.

Pine Beetles Love Climate Change; Pines Less Pleased

Remember the story about Harney Peak trails being shut down for timber cutting? Rangers are trying to thin the trees and minimize the spread of those darn pine beetles.

Where did those pine beetles come from? Us. Climate change:

SARAH GARDNER: But wait a minute. Explain for us how this little beetle has anything to do with climate change? Because, I mean, my understanding is that the pine beetle is a native species, right? It's always been there. And a lot of westerners believe the only reason it's gotten out of hand is because we haven't been thinning out the forests enough, right?

SAM EATON: That hasn't helped. And you throw in fire suppression and the beetles basically have an all-you-can-eat buffet of lodge pole and Ponderosa pine. But the scientists I talked to -- like Jesse Logan, who's been studying the beetles for decades -- say the main thing driving this outbreak is human-caused global warming.

JESSE LOGAN: It's by the actions of people. It's directly our actions that are taking these forests out.

SAM: Let me connect the dots here. Logan says pine beetles have always been held in check by deep winter freezes. But that 2-degree increase in average temperatures you mentioned earlier, Sarah, has meant fewer cold snaps -- especially in the high elevations of the Rockies. Basically, the pine beetle couldn't have asked for better breeding conditions [Sarah Gardner and Sam Eaton, "Climate Change in Our Own Backyards," Marketplace, 2009.10.27].

Marketplace is running a big series on climate change; part 4 runs this evening (SDPB Radio, 19:00 CDT). Each piece is lengthy and worth the listen. The series webpage includes lots of resources on climate change science and economic impacts.

Pine Beetles Threaten Harney Peak Trails: Clear 'Em Out!

Regular readers know I get a little sentimental about trees. I'm also a big fan of Harney Peak, one of South Dakota's great geological wonders, not to mention the center of the universe for some of our neighbors.

So a little blurb on KELO about timber cutting shutting down two Harney Peak trails gets me going on two levels. I go looking for the full story and get it from (who else?) Kevin Woster. He gets my attention with one sentence from Custer State Park Superintendent Richard Miller about what pine beetles are doing to the Black Elk Wilderness:

Miller said there are estimates that 80 percent of all the trees in the Black Elk will be dead in two to three years....

Oof. The proper response: clear out about 3000 acres of beetle-infested trees. Beetles can spread from tree to tree more easily in forests made artifically thick by our overzealous fire suppression policies. Thin the trees, slow the beetles.

CAH below Harney Peak, coming up the north face from Willow Creek trailhead, August 2001. Photo: Tobias W. Uecker

I've been up Harney Peak several times, usually day-hiking, a couple times backpacking, and once snow-shoeing. The hike and the summit peak are glorious every time. I've hung out with hikers cooking noodles out of the wind in the old fire station. I've ridden the top of the tower through an advancing sea of clouds at sunset. I've come home with feet a-glitter from the mica trails. And I've rested comfortably in the deep shade of the high rocks and trees along the Harney Peak trails.

I hate to see destruction done along the Harney Peak trails. But the real destroyers are the beetles and previous bad policy, not the loggers being brought in to clean up the mess. CSP chief forester Adam Gahagan says the cleared areas will green up fast, much like the recovery seen in the area of the 1988 Galena fire. It will not be the same thick forest... but a thick forest of dead brown trees is no forest at all.

To keep the Idaho helicopter crews from dropping logs on hikers' heads, Trail #4 at Little Devils Tower will be closed through the winter. Trail #9 from Sylvan Lake will be closed from October 1 until Christmas (keep to that schedule, fellas: there are folks planning their New Year's hike!). If you want to visit Harney Peak this fall, you'll need to come up the north face from the Willow Creek trailhead (Hiram Rogers's favorite route).

Legislative Quick Hits: Bills of Interest in Pierre

The bills are really flowing now! Here's a quick list of bills that catch my eye:

• SB 93: This one's great! It would support community-based wind energy development in South Dakota. That's what Rod Goeman and I have been talking about! Reps. Fargen and Lange are co-sponsors. Go get 'em, fellas! (See more wind power legislation at SB 94 and SB 95.)
  
• SB 92: This one's not so great: Howie, Hunt (oh! and even my man Lange!) continue to pursue a practical ban on abortion in South Dakota. If they can't win by ballot, they'll just bankrupt Planned Parenthood. Hmph.
• SB 114: Senator Kloucek and Representative Lange propose to study the feasibility of establishing an "equine processing facility." Mmmm: horseburgers.
  
• HB 1135: Welcome to the Internet, South Dakota government! This bill would allow public agencies in the state to designate an official website (pick me! pick me!) where they may post their agendae, minutes, and other official notices. Such online publications could be in addition to or in place of expensive, wasteful print publication, as long as there's at least one library or other place with public Internet access. Sweet! Pat Powers digs it, and so do I.
• HB 1164 would give township board some leeway (six feet, to be exact) in exempting certain established trees from right-of-way chop-down rules. Who would have thought we had such tree huggers in Pierre? Who would have thought co-sponsor Republican Rep. Shantel Krebs was one of them?
• HB 1171 seeks to protect small schools like Bison from closing. The bill says if you're the only school in the county, the state can't close you. (Let's see if opponents counter with a county-consolidation bill.)

All bill drafts are due in the Legislative Research Council tomorrow at 5 p.m. Keep those ideas comin'!

Howdy, Neighbor -- Goodbye Trees

I'm not prejudiced against backhoes. Really, I'm not....

I should be happy to be getting new neighbors. Some folks bought the last chunk of available lakefront property in our neighborhood last year. Their intent, as we understand it, is to build a nice little lake getaway.

So wouldn't you think they'd enjoy having a nice, well-established shelterbelt to provide a little privacy? Keep the trees, build on the three-quarters of the lot that's clear?


Heavens no. The backhoe, front-end loader, and dumptruck arrived this morning to clear out darn near every tree on the lot. House a-comin' -- those trees gotta go.

Call me a sap. Call me a treehugger. Call me worse. But my heart genuinely aches to see those trees torn down. I felt the same way last year when I drove down the Valley Road and found a great old stand of massive cottonwoods, some looking big enough to have been around since homesteading days, reduced to grim, gnarled piles of refuse, just to make way for a few more acres of some profiteers crops.

It particularly hurts to see trees torn from the prairie because, as my wife reminds me as she watches the destruction, every tree in a shelterbelt—and and so many of the trees we see in South Dakota—is here as a result of some person's labor. (I planted 150 trees and bushes in my yard a couple years ago; I know whereof I speak.) Someone planted those trees long ago, before many of us were born, knowing that he or she would never enjoy the fullest shade and shelter of those trees. These trees are monuments to someone's unselfishness and foresight, better memorials than any tombstone.

And then these trees, which have withstood deer, drought, and windstorms (another mighty blast last night, a surprise gale and downpour that sent us mere humans scurrying for cover while the trees just danced), are knocked over in a workday, to make room for a little bigger garage.

We'll still have the new neighbors over for dinner when they move in. But we hope that everyone in South Dakota will make a little promise: if you absolutely have to clear out some trees for the sake of progress, see if you can transplant them somewhere. And if the trees you have to clear are just too big to move, go down to the conservation district office next spring, and get some saplings, and plant replacements, one for each one you pulled down. Then plant them... wherever, your yard, your kids' yard, wherever you can find a spot. Plant them somewhere you can tend them, somewhere you think they'll last.