Dear Editor,
My favorite poem is the Robert Frost poem “Tree at My Window” and it has been on my mind constantly as I receive information from the Caltrans people that all of the trees in Colusa along the 10th Street corridor will be removed within 40 days and then they will think about a plan for the aftermath. I’m not sure how long “think about it” is in Caltrans terms but for those of us who live with the trees in our community it is a long time and dubious in definability.
The immediate removal of a large mature tree is loss of property value in the thousands of dollar amounts. Then there are the trucks that have no other route through our community other than in front of my house that add dust, noise and irritability to our lives. All of these things will be increased when the trees come down. Other studies have proven that removal of mature trees also increases the speed at which traffic moves as well as limiting foot traffic due to extra exposure to sun and ultraviolet rays.
I have spent a great deal of my life learning to care for trees of all ages. I have also spoken to public groups about the value of trees in our lives and how they convey a settled atmosphere in our harried existence. They make our utility bill a bit easier to manage in the summer months as the shade covers our house till early afternoon. All of this will be in the past.
The tragedy is that all decisions have been made behind closed doors with no place for public comment or information from anyone outside the hallowed halls of officialdom. We’ve seen in the past how harmful this method can be and now we are victims of that same lack of transparency.
My heart is sad and my soul is trying to figure how we can cope with our lives being upended in our own home.
Cynthia White
Colusa, CA