Drought Tree Emergency! Drought Tree Emergency!
I just finished my neighborhood rounds and want to raise the alarm: TREES ARE DYING DUE TO THE DROUGHT! Especially the trees recently planted by the city at great expense. The accompanying photo was taken this morning on Magnolia Street across from the Methodist Church. Of about ten nursery trees, most are dead due to lack of water. These trees cost the city about $300 each to plant, so just this strip represents a microcosm of the loss to the city. And the cost to us, who pay for it all.
My next step is to water the trees in my neighborhood park – Franklin Park – and to urge everyone else to do the same in their respective neighborhoods. It wouldn’t hurt to also water the trees in the median strips. According to the Bellingham Parks Department mowing crew, the city has no plans for emergency watering. They don't even have a water tender, although both public works and the fire department both do. Why they are sending out mowing crews to mow brown stubble is beyond me, in fact.
SO, it’s up to us. Save a tree today and bless the air for years.