I Love Nature and Trees But...

[Oakman]

It’s time for the 300 year old Burr Oak in the campground at Meramec State Park in Missouri to go. The only part of that tree that is still alive is the one limb that extends over the campground road. There is no way to drive around that limb without having some of the branches drag across the roof of high profile 5th wheel trailers. After a rain some branches hang as low at 10 feet. If they don’t want to remove the tree then at least they should extend the blacktop road away from the tree so it won’t cause damage to trailers. Missouri State Parks should also post a low clearance warning on the Meramec SP camping webpage. Here are a couple pics of the tree.

[colliehauler]

I enjoy the shade that large trees provide. That said when a tree dies it needs to be removed as a hazard. I can't understand the reluctance to remove it.

It was a beautiful tree 10 years ago.

[ppine]

Oakman you are on the right track. Mo State Parks has dropped the ball. Public safety should be their first concern. Do not give up .

[Oakman]

I received a response from MO State Parks and I think I'm calling BS. Here’s their response to my email.

"Thank you for contacting us.

I appreciate your concern and sending the photographs of the tree. Unfortunately, that tree is currently protected due to it also being a roosting tree for bats and we are under strict guidelines for not cutting any roost trees during the season. Because of this, park staff have blocked the road under the remaining living branch to prevent drivers from potentially damaging personal property. Once the last branch of the tree has died, staff will re-evaluate the situation to determine if the tree can be removed.
Jenn Wood
Missouri State Parks"

While I know bats can and do roost in trees, WNS has wiped out most of the bats in the area of Meramec State Park. Also about 100 yards from that tree is Fisher Cave which I believe the bats would prefer for roosting.

[Thom02099]

Oakman wrote:

qtla9111 wrote:
Why not make some memorabilia out of it and sell it for a worthy cause such as reforestation?

That trunk would make for a great chainsaw carving. I'm in the process of writing a letter to MO State Parks and DNR to express my thoughts about removal of that tree.

^^^^^ This! Great idea!

It will likely happen when someone sues the State of Missouri when a limb comes down in a storm. There was a recent story about 2 news journalists that were killed in a storm when a tree was blown on their vehicle. And that was a healthy tree. The one pictured is a hazard. It should be taken down and carved as suggested above, before someone is injured or killed.

[Oakman]

I was going through my old camping photos and found a picture of that same Burr Oak taken 10 years ago. Obviously the tree is dying and should be taken down before it falls down.

[Busskipper]

Oakman wrote:
It’s time for the 300 year old Burr Oak in the campground at Meramec State Park in Missouri to go. The only part of that tree that is still alive is the one limb that extends over the campground road. There is no way to drive around that limb without having some of the branches drag across the roof of high profile 5th wheel trailers. After a rain some branches hang as low at 10 feet. If they don’t want to remove the tree then at least they should extend the blacktop road away from the tree so it won’t cause damage to trailers. Missouri State Parks should also post a low clearance warning on the Meramec SP camping webpage. Here are a couple pics of the tree.

Does that poor tree have Wheels?

Until the CG makes you happy choose another.

JMHO,

[Oakman]

qtla9111 wrote:
Why not make some memorabilia out of it and sell it for a worthy cause such as reforestation?

That trunk would make for a great chainsaw carving. I'm in the process of writing a letter to MO State Parks and DNR to express my thoughts about removal of that tree.

[qtla9111]

Why not make some memorabilia out of it and sell it for a worthy cause such as reforestation?

[Tyler0215]

Nothing is more attractive in a RV park than a dead tree!

[charming]

azrving wrote:
Tree huggers to a mindless degree. Same thing in Big Bend, host said OH no we don't want to cut anything. I said but we can't park in the spots because the branches are growing in. He said you have to park elsewhere.

Why build a campground just to let it be over grown. If they like that big old tree why build a road so close to it? There are also private parks with tree limbs that damage rig after rig. It's insanity.

Wouldn't an RV area seem like the place where an RV WOULDN'T be damaged. Lol

Doesn't have to be tree huggers, here in SC where we could use quite a few more, the state parks are not allowed to remove problem trees. We had damage to our RV because of a sapling leaning over the too narrow road in a state park campground. According to the campground employee who had to BORROW a winch to pull the tree off of our RV they were not allowed to cut down any trees that were not diseased. I suggested salt, mother used it on a cedar my father refused to cut. Works well.

That tree is obviously a danger come any storm with wind and should be removed.

[randyshanks]

you can't drive around it, there are deep ditches and culverts.
The only thing to do is go elsewhere.

[ppine]

You are correct. I am a retired forester. This is a dangerous tree that is going to come down in a wind storm and may hurt some one. Falling trees hurt more people and destroy more property than is generally believed.

[dodge_guy]

We had an ancient oak in our city park. THey cut it down because it was dying. So they sliced up the trunk and the boy scouts did a historical look into it. Turns out the tree was around 200-250 years old years old IIRC. Sometimes things have to be cut down to make way for new growth, safety and for a history lesson!

[DutchmenSport]

Based on the photos above, why not just move over and drive in the grass? If the tree is that important, then after a few ruts in the grass, someone might decide to pave a section of road farther from the tree. Then tree can be saved and no one has to worry about low clearnace? If I were there, I'd drive through the grass.