Article and photos by Becky Phillips, WSU Today
Hanly points to Library Road project plan, which he contends infers that many of the trees were going to remain standing.
Michael Hanly, professor in the department of English, was surprised when a large blue spruce next to Avery Hall — reportedly due for trimming, was instead cut to the ground on July 2. The tree is one of 80 scheduled for removal as part of the Library Road project currently underway in the middle of campus.
In an attempt to get answers and perhaps preserve other trees in the vicinity, Hanly spearheaded the “Save WSU’s Trees” effort.
The multiphase Library Road project has been in the planning for several years, with public meeting and comments periods included.
Under the current plan, about 100 trees — maples, beeches and Ponderosa pines — with trunk diameters of two to four inches will be planted to replace the trees being removed.
Hanly issued a statement saying that he and a group of concerned faculty, staff and students, are not only determined to save the trees, but are dismayed about the way the project is being handled by administrators.
The group has created a website where faculty and staff can comment and consider a petition on the issue. The petition has about 600 signatures. To see the site click here.
Hanly said the group is scheduled to meet with President Elson S. Floyd at 9 a.m. Friday, July 18, to discuss their concerns. Representatives from Capital Planning and Development also will be present.
In an WSU Today interview earlier this month, James Stone, construction engineer with capital planning and development , said each of the trees “have been evaluated by a certified arborist and a landscape architecture firm. We have gone to great lengths to evaluate the health of the trees and the impact the project would have on the green space that exists within the scope of the project. We are confident that this project will result in the improvement of the green spaces along Library Road – with new tree plantings in locations better suited to the activities that occur in this important campus area.”
To see the earlier full article with Stone, click here.
