"I think that I shall never see, A poem lovely as a tree." When Joyce Kilmer wrote his ode to trees in 1913, he couldn't have anticipated today's response to climate change. But as we experience hotter summers, extended droughts and other climate induced change, trees are being seen as far more than lovely. They are vital. 

The Seattle Department of Transportation's (SDOT) plans to build an ADA ramp at the corner of SW Fontanelle and Fauntleroy Way SW however are threatening to take out one of that neighborhood's most notable trees. A large horse chestnut, standing approximately 40 feet tall, is one of few large trees left on that stretch of Fauntleroy Way.

SDOT will be out to expose the roots and make an evaluation of whether the tree can be saved or not on Monday April 25. It's obvious that the tree roots have in fact lifted the sidewalk just adjacent. But now a "tree roots" effort has been launched by tree neighbor Sara Macko, who opened a petition on Change.org that is nearing 500 signatures in an effort to save the tree. For her part Macko is very clear. She does not oppose building a ramp. She's just hoping to find an alternative to removing the tree.

A public rally is planned at the corner for 10am April 25. Macko posted about the event

"The reason to rally:
We are gathering to advocate for the health of our environment! The removal of legacy trees such as this is severly reducing our city's canopy tree cover, creating what are called "heat islands." These heat islands are devisating to native plants and wild life. Last summer, Seattle experienced a mass bird death in result of record breaking temperature spikes due to climate change. One of the best actions we can take to help our habitat is preseve the lives of our ancient trees that provide shade, food, and refuge as our world grows hotter. 

We are also here to express our support of the ramp! We want our friends on wheels to have ease of access to our lovely parks, and of course our lovely tree  We are here to emphasize that accessiblity and sustainability are NOT mutually exclusive! Both accessiblity and the preservation of wildlife and plant life are vital to our community's health!

Come join us! 

Seating will be provided for those who cannot stand for long periods of time. [We have approximately 6 or 7 chairs.]"

The Change.org petition reads:

"~About our tree and the support it provides for wildlife:

It stands, healthy and strong, on the corner of our property today as it has for over 200 years. Its trunk is a gigantic 10' 34" in diameter! In the spring, it blossoms in endless clusters of flowers that feed our bees and hummingbirds, and it houses many animals throughout all of the seasons. Its leaves grow lush and green in summer, many of them spanning to over a square foot in size! This creates lovely shade in our yard, and protective coverage for prey animals. In autumn, the tree fluoresces into an electric yellow, and its magnificent canopy fills our neighborhood with color. As its color changes, horse chestnuts form and start to fall as squirrels clamber over its branches to harvest and hide them away for the winter. This is crutial for their survival, especially since our winters have become harsher over the past 5 years! Our chickens roam our yard and love to kick the fallen leaves around to search for slugs and insects that feast on them. These insects are a vital source of nutrients for our chickens, native birds, and other wildlife that call our neighborhood home. With all of the deforestation taking place around our city limits, and the destruction of generational urban trees, this would be yet another devastating blow to our environment that has a far reaching impact on the health of all our local living creatures.

~For myself, my housemate, and her 9 year old daughter, this tree is precious:

We cherish this tree and its history. We love observing the animals it provides for, and are honored to behold its abundant glory and all the creatures that enjoy it. I gather snips of the flowers to make arrangements for meditiation. My housemate and her daughter collect the chestnuts annually and use them for arts and crafts! We were set to create a ladder this year so that we could climb it and build a treehouse! We long to protect it. Trees like this are sacred and SHOULD NOT BE DESTROYED!

Similarly, our neighbors over at the Kenney take walks and come to our tree specifically to gather chestnuts for their own decor, and to enjoy its sentimental value, as many of them have grown up visiting this tree in their childhood. We have many West Seattle residents pass by this tree to enjoy its splendor. This is a generational staple of our neighborhood.

~The city's plan for its destruction:

The city wants to build a ramp from the curb to the street. I want to be very clear: we absolutely want our sidewalk and streets to be accessible for everyone! There are ways to do this that do not involve killing our tree. 

Their plan as it stands now, is to dig so deeply at our corner that they'll destroy the tree's roots and kill it. Thus, they are to cut it down entirely and take it away!

We are proposing that the city make the last part of our side street, Fontanelle, a one way that goes out to Fauntleroy. This will allow the sidewalk to extend in length over a small portion of Fontanelle. In lengthening the sidewalk, we can assure that the degree of grade in the slant will be gradual, and within ADA guidelines, making it accessible and safe. 

This tree is considered "exceptional" under the Director's Rule 16-2008 under the city code according to the City of Seattle's Department of Planning and Development. However, the project manager for our street advised that this department has since desolved and the rule will likely not be applicable to this situation. I am still pleading with the city, and this is why I need your help!

Please sign here so that we may protect our city's hisorical living trees, and all of the animals who depend on them for survival. Your voice makes a huge difference! Help us advocate for our environment, and its wonderful living creatures that make Washington state and West Seattle so special!"

She posted on Facebook:

"We want the ramp to be installed! I want to be very clear...we are - in no way - trying to prevent accessibility! We want our friends on wheels to have an easy way up and down our street. We have marvelous parks close by, and they shouldn't be hard to get to. People of all ranges of abilities come to visit/pass this tree often, especially our neighbors across the street at the Kenney Senior Living Home. There is a way to make this corner safe and accommodating to wheelchairs, scooters, and other vessels without harming our natural environment..which is the ENTIRE point of our taking a stand! If you've only been following the shares and not reading the petition, I ask that you take a moment to read it so you can hear exactly where we're coming from, the truth of the situation, and see the plan we've proposed! [Link is at the bottom of this post.]

Accessibility is incredibly important, as is preserving our legacy trees, especially with the ever-growing severity of climate change. Seattle has been experiencing mass deaths in birds and other animals and insects due to the spikes in heat in recent summers. Trees like this are an oasis to our suffering creatures as they try to adapt to survive! And when the smoke inevidably comes in late summer...large trees like this help to clean the air so we don't get sick! In addition, heat islands are being created in the city due to developers and city workers cutting down our large canopy trees. These heat islands are dangerous and are multiplying, and they're detrimental to our city's [and our planet's] health.

TLDR: If our habitat dies...WE die, folks!

I've been in contact with so many folks working for our city, and they've given us a date and approximate time in which the concrete will be raised, and the arborist is to come and assess the roots: 4/25 in the morning hours. Once the concrete is raised, they'll use a compressed air pump to remove the surrounding dirt so they can get a clear look of the root structure. [I expressed my concerns about the method of removing the concrete damaging the roots beneath, and they advised that it'd be done carefully...so hopefully this means no jackhammers!] After the city arborist's assessment, they'll bring their thoughts and my proposal to the ADA committee and we will go from there. This process could take several weeks to come to a definitive answer.