Tree times the charm?

The City of Sundance has promised that a solution will be found for what Commissioner Fred Devish described as the “sad little orphan trees in the front of the courthouse”, all of which are “in various states of dying.”

Replacing them, said Mayor Paul Brooks, “Is not just as simple as you think,” because it involves a contract for beautification with WYDOT.

The question first arose in July, when Facilities Maintenance Supervisor Larry Schommer brought the question to the Sundance City Council after discovering that all four of the trees have blight. An arborist from American Forestry had inspected the trees, he said, and told him that, “More than likely, they aren’t going to make it.”

The roots of these trees are acidic, Schommer explained, which means they tend to sterilize the ground as they decay. This could mean that any tree planted in the same spot would have a hard time surviving.

Schommer suggested moving the trees back onto the grass; replacing them with large planters that could be moved during snow plow season; or replacing with statues similar to Old Stoney.

On Tuesday, Devish stated that County Attorney Joe Baron had looked into the issue and found that it is the city’s responsibility to figure out a solution for the trees, rather than the county’s.

Brooks acknowledged this, stating that the council will make a decision in the near future.

However, he noted that not everyone is in support of moving the trees, commenting, “I can tell you there are people on the other side.”

Nevertheless, he stated that the problem is being examined and the council has not forgotten about it. A decision, he said, will be made in the near future.