Tumwater Mayor Debbie Sullivan signed a $48,000 contract with Todd Prager & Associates on Thursday, August 22, to conduct another risk assessment of the Davis-Meeker Garry Oak tree.
The mayor agreed to have the historic tree reevaluated due to public outcry as several people, including professional arborists, disagreed with the findings of an assessment done by the city’s arborist, which claimed that the tree posed a high risk.
The city arborist’s assessment led to the mayor’s decision to remove the tree in May, but currently a temporary restraining order in place protects the historically significant tree against the removal.
Todd Pragers & Associates is based in Lake Oswego, Oregon.
According to its response to the city’s request for a quote, it is experienced with level 3 tree risk assessments and provided excerpts of its work on a Garry Oak tree (Quercus garryana) from North Plains, Oregon.
Its consulting team comprises Rick Till and Todd Prager, who are both master arborists certified by the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) and have the ISA qualifications to conduct tree assessments.
City administrator Lisa Parks told The JOLT that actual on-site assessment work on the tree will not happen until the city gets a response from the Washington State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation (DAHP) on whether the city needs a permit for the tree assessment.
DAHP wrote to city staff on May 30 that state law requires a permit from the DAHP for “the excavation, alteration, or removal of archaeological resources” such as the Davis-Meeker Oak, registered on Tumwater’s historical register.
For now, Parks said that they will do whatever they can do in advance ahead of DAHP’s response.
According to the contract’s scope, the firm could complete tasks before the actual on-site assessment, such as meeting with city staff, reviewing background information about the tree, and developing a proposed approach for risk assessment.
As part of the eventual tree assessment, an aerial inspection, nine sonic tomography readings along the trunk and main streams, and visual assessments will be conducted, the contract’s scope stated.
Additional assessments such as static pull testing, resistance drilling, and core sampling may also be performed.
Unlike the city arborist's assessment, Prager’s risk assessment report will formally review mitigation options.
“Risk mitigation options may include but not be limited to cabling, bracing, reduction pruning, periodic future inspection intervals, target protection, target restrictions, and soil, pest, or disease treatments,” the contract stated.
The firm will provide additional risk ratings if these options are applied to the Davis-Meeker Oak.
The contract also includes a budget for a tree appraisal should the city require the contractor to conduct one.
5 comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here
hptrillium
$48000 is way to much to spend on this.
Tuesday, August 27 Report this
PamelaJHanson
Their price may be an upward amount and it might be meant to prevent challenges to their experience and reputation. The report no doubt will have to meet the scrutiny of the save the Davis Meeker Oak group along with tree experts around the globe that want to study a $48,000 document. This is a historic witness tree that has lived part of its life before this land became the United States. This lady oak, mighty oak, mother oak has my respect. In my opinion, the Tree Board and many others had the right opinions and path and then Mayor Debbie Sullivan decided to, in her championship poker style, up the ante with a losing hand and with blatant exaggerations of the facts. It's a tree. A branch fell. (And that Don Trosper photo is not a recent photo.)
Tuesday, August 27 Report this
olyhiker
A permit to assess a tree? Good grief.
Tuesday, August 27 Report this
FirstOtter
For God's sakes, Mayor Sullivan, leave that tree alone. It's not yours. It's ours, we've said we don't want it cut down. You want it cut down for some unsavory or other reason that isn't in the best interests of us, your employer. I suspect you are in cahoots with the Port, who want to turn the Olympia Regional airport into that mega airport we fought two years ago.
You obviously don't believe that we, the citizens, see right through you.
LEAVE IT ALONE. That money isn't yours, either. It's ours, and we are telling you over and over again, leave the tree be. Instead of spending money to kill the tree, why don't you use the money for something that will benefit all of us? I would dearly love to see that money going to a recall campaign. It's time you moved on, Mayor. Go where your machinations won't result in environmental degradation. Texas, for instance.
Wednesday, August 28 Report this
Treehugger1
Hello all lovers of trees, and the Davis-Meeker Oak in particular. There is so much for which to be grateful in this world, and I for one am happy that we are still keeping this great tree alive. The mayor must look into her soul and spend some time looking up at this wonderful tree, and relinquish any thoughts of controlling this magnificent specimen of nature.
Let it be, let it be, let it be let it BE! There will be an answer, Let it BE!
Thursday, August 29 Report this