Council apologizes for tree removal process at Town Park after outcry

Will handle the process “more delicately” next time

By Mark Reaman

Members of the Crested Butte Town Council publicly apologized for the way in which the removal of trees around the Center for the Arts was handled. Several aspen and evergreen trees were cut down two weeks ago as the first action in the expansion of the new Center. Some of the decades-old trees had been planted as memorials to people who lived and died in Crested Butte. Public outcry on social media and to the council was immediate.

Crested Butte Parks and Recreation director Janna Hansen had explained that after consulting with local landscapers, it was determined that the success rate of relocating big trees was in doubt so the decision was made that the money would be better spent to purchase new, large trees as part of the project. She said the memorial plaques have been stored by the town and they will be reinstalled in a “memorial wooded area on the eastern side of the park.”

Tricia Kubisiak addressed the council at the June 5 meeting and said many people in the community were upset about the trees being cut down in the town park. “I am looking for the town to be suspended from its Tree City USA designation,” she said during the “public comment” section of the council meeting. “The town is not following correct standards. Who is accountable for this decision? I want to know who made the decision.”

Kubisiak said a public apology over the matter would be appropriate.

The council addressed the situation later in the meeting during the “other business” portion of the meeting.

“I am sorry we caused people to have stress over how the trees were removed. That was not our intent,” said mayor Glenn Michel. “As part of the project we will double the amount of trees that were taken away.”

Councilman Paul Merck, who is in the tree trimming business, said he understood why people are so attached to the living trees. “I think we might owe some people an apology for the way it was handled,” he said. “You can remove trees and you can plant trees and I’ve done both. This happened so quickly and it shocked people. We should apologize for the procedure.”

Councilman Chris Ladoulis agreed. “We need to own up and say we’re sorry,” he said. “The next time we are in such a situation, we need to handle it more delicately.”

“We can do better and we learned from it,” concluded Michel. “We apologize for the way it was handled.”