 A stump sits in Durham Park. More than 100 trees across campus are set to be cut down due to winter damage. Photo by Jaimie McGirt | The Appalachian Coming in various shapes and forms, evergreen trees and shrubs are some of the only plants that stay green year-round.
Appalachian State University’s Student Government Association (SGA) looked to bring more evergreens to Appalachian’s campus by passing the Evergreen Act in October, hoping a greener surrounding “would undeniably assist in creating a less [plain] environment,” according to SGA Bill 043-001.
But with more than 100 trees currently being cut down on Appalachian’s campus due to damages they sustained over the winter, SGA’s bill may be put to use quicker than expected.
Eddie Hyle, landscape services superintendent at Appalachian, said he absolutely thinks this is an opportunity to put the Evergreen Act to work.
“For every tree cut, we want to plant more, and we’re going to plant as many evergreens as we can,” Hyle said. “We plant many trees and shrubs every year, and as things get destroyed, we put them back better than they were before.”
Hyle and fellow landscape services superintendent Jim Bryan are working to establish a Greening Committee to oversee evergreen issues on campus, and students and faculty will most likely be involved in the process.
Rhododendron plants, which also stay green year-round and are plentiful in High Country regions, cannot be planted on Appalachian’s campus because the urban environment would not be suitable, Hyle said.
Though evergreens are suitable to Appalachian’s campus, Hyle said they can create safety problems.
“With evergreens, we’re also making places for people to hide, and that could create a challenge for people to hide and get attacked or assaulted,” Hyle said.
ArborCare Tree Service, Inc., a local tree-care organization, was hired by Appalachian’s Physical Plant to remove and trim trees that were deemed “damaged beyond repair” by a tree survey conducted in March.
After the survey, 109 trees were marked to be removed while 442 trees were deemed as “hangers” and have hanging or broken limbs that require maintenance.
Chad J. Michael, president of ArborCare Tree Service, Inc., said the tree removal project will last two to three months.
“We’re only contracted to cut the stumps as low as possible, and then Jim Bryan is going to go back in and manage them after that,” Michael said.
ArborCare, located at 2460 U.S. Highway 421 in Boone, is a “100 percent” local business, and was awarded the national tree removal bid by the Physical Plant earlier this month, Michael said.
“[Michael] is a local guy, and I like having our money pumped back into the local economy,” Hyle said.
ArborCare’s bid of $69,000 was the lowest of the six different companies that attended the pre-bid meeting for the removal project, and it eventually awarded them the job, Bryan said.
Up to 75 percent of the $69,000 will be reimbursed to Appalachian from Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funds, with the other 25 percent most likely coming state funding, Bryan said.
The cost of re-planting will not be covered by federal or state funds.
For more information on the Evergreen Act or Committee, contact the SGA office at sga.appstate.edu.
Story: NASH DUNN, News Reporter
Photo: JAIMIE MCGIRT, Intern Photographer |
