LOWER LAKE, Calif. – County officials are making preparations to have a diseased and dying blue oak at the Lower Lake Schoolhouse Museum taken down.
The oak is located next to the museum sign and entry gate at the corner of Mill and Main streets.
Public Services Director Caroline Chavez said the tree has been there a long time, and can be seen in old pictures of the museum.
However, Chavez said the tree is “very dangerous” and has been in a state of decline for many years.
Arborist Steve Garoutte of Lake Tree Design assessed the tree in September and concluded that it is now a hazard, as half of it is dead.
Oak root fungus may be the culprit in the tree's declining condition, although Garoutte said in his report that he hadn't examined the tree to confirm that.
“Given the location of this oak, its current condition, and what I consider its bleak prognosis, I recommend its removal as soon as possible,” Garoutte wrote.
He added, “I am very sorry to see this magnificent old oak dying.”
Garoutte further suggested planting a new valley oak in the vicinity of the dying tree, noting valley oaks are more resistant to oak root fungus and grow faster than blue oaks. There also is a local oak tree purveyor, he noted.
At its Jan. 27 meeting, the Board of Supervisors approved Chavez's request to hire Northcoast Tree Care to remove the heritage oak at a cost of $8,000.
Chavez said the higher cost for the tree's removal is due to the need for a crane to lift the tree up and over the iron fence to prevent damage to the fence and the nearby landscaping.
She said a brief closure of the museum entrance may be necessary while the tree is being removed.
Traffic control – provided by a county road crew – also will be necessary during the removal, Chavez said.
Chavez told the board that it's not her usual practice to bring a tree removal matter to the board, however, “We know that this is a sensitive issue.”
She told Lake County News in a separate interview that scheduling the tree's removal is largely dependent on when the crane is available.
She said a big branch of the tree recently fell off of it. A large portion of the tree is hollow, she added.
“We don't want to take it down, but when it becomes a hazard, we have to,” she said.
Chavez added, “We want people to know, we're not just doing this lightly. It’s a necessity.”
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Diseased blue oak at schoolhouse museum set to be removed
- Elizabeth Larson
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