County Cutting Down Old Oak Trees To Pave Dirt Road

January 24, 2014

One Enon School Road resident is questioning why several oak trees estimated to be over 100 years old are being cut down to pave the road, rather than routing the road around the trees.

But Escambia County says they were given the right of way by a property owner on the side of the road with the trees, and they don’t have any right of way to go around the trees.

The dirt Enon School Road is about a mile and a half long between Highway 97A and South Pineville Road in a remote area of the county near the Perdido River about 10 miles south of Walnut Hill.  The road is sparsely populated, but is home to the Enon Country Manor, a 25-bed assisted living facility.

Pictured top and below: Workers cut down several oak trees in Enon Thursday afternoon.  Escambia County was given the right of way to needed to pave Enon School Road on the side of the road with the pictured oak trees. The trees are being cut down for the paving project becuase the county does not have right of way to go around the trees. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.

Comments

30 Responses to “County Cutting Down Old Oak Trees To Pave Dirt Road”

  1. Debbie on June 27th, 2014 12:13 pm

    My mother chained herself to a tree on Latrobe Rd. in El Dorado Hills to save this 400 year old oak. They were going to put in a new road, and instead of moving the road by 10 feet, they were going to cut down a 400 year old Oak. So when they got there to do the work, they found her chained to the tree. The police showed up as well as the media. As soon as it broke on the news, the county decided to “save” the tree and do the right thing, moving the road by 10 feet which ended up saving them over 10,000 doing so. It’s sad that the average person has to step up to do the right thing for something they believe in. But this proves that even one person CAN make a difference. The old oak is still there and beautiful as ever! Right next to the road that was moved. :-)

  2. Septra on January 27th, 2014 3:34 am

    That is right, “Sunny”. People do not care anymore about “Mother Earth”. There are scumbags destroying the Amazon forests for farming and other reasons, the fracking in the U.S. is destroying people’s water supply. YO! You have to have water, schmucks, if you want to live. Personally I consider it a sin to cut down a tree, or in this case several trees, that are in excess of 100 years old. So what about a paved road! I’m so ready for this world to end, get rid of the greedy people in it, and lets start a new generation of people that will appreciate things. I won’t be here to see it and neither will anyone else. That is the beauty of life.

  3. David Huie Green on January 26th, 2014 11:41 pm

    Check the stump
    Count the rings
    See how old the trees were.

    Some oaks grow much faster than folks think.

  4. Mark on January 26th, 2014 9:46 am

    It’s amazing to me that no one has mentioned the fact that this was private land. Would you be complaining if a neighbor cut down a tree on their property (say for putting in a pool, etc.)?

    I could understand the outcry if this was public property, but it wasn’t. How many of you would allow someone to dictate how you landscape your yard?

    This man gave up the land to have the road paved knowing full well they would have to clear the trees. Maybe he was tired of cleaning up after them and wanted them gone anyways.

  5. gst on January 25th, 2014 8:45 pm

    By the pictures there was plenty of room to build a road with out cutting the trees down I guess they have to have drainage,curbs,and sidewalks.

  6. Brave on January 24th, 2014 11:24 pm

    My great grandparents were one of the last few to lose their land for a road paving project. I stand here 20 years later and understand exactly why they held out. Red dirt road raised and proud of it. Maybe if we had more of the thinking of folks 4 generations back we would all be better off.

  7. Resident on January 24th, 2014 7:39 pm

    It’s going to make good firewood, and by the looks of the weather we are going to need it.

  8. trouble on January 24th, 2014 7:38 pm

    I grew up with those tree’s and will miss them. I can understand the need to remove them, but the older people on ENON RD. need traffic (ems,fire, ect..)to be able to get thru. I hope the county will replant something, but not everyone get’s their wish!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  9. Happy on January 24th, 2014 7:09 pm

    THANKS TO THE COUNTY FOR CUTTING DOWN THE TREES. I CAN’T WAIT FOR THE ROAD O BE PAVED. AND YES THE (CITIZEN) WAS RIGHT —NO ONE WANTED TO GIVE UP ANY LAND EXCEPT DH AND THE OTHERS RESIDENTS DON’T EVEN OWN THE LAND ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROAD…SO YES –DOWN WITH THE TREES…IF THEY DON’T WANT TO USE THE PAVED ROAD THAN —THEY NEED TO MAKE THEM A DIRT RD ON THERE SIDE–THANKS WILLIAM

  10. gst on January 24th, 2014 6:29 pm

    just like scenic & I 10 cut down all the old oaks the county commissioners don’t care about old growth maybe they can take some of that 4 cent gas tax and plant more trees but none of us will be around to see them grow this big. Im disappointed in these people we elected to take care of this county we surely made some bad choices

  11. Puddin on January 24th, 2014 6:09 pm

    Thanks William, I live around the corner and have been wondering what was going on. Too bad about the oaks, and I agree that paving it will increase the speeders on the road. But really, few but residents actually go down that road. And when it rains its a huge muddy mess. Nice of DH to give up the huge chunk of land.

  12. Wondering... on January 24th, 2014 3:45 pm

    What happens to all of the trees after being cut down? Hope someone can get some use from it!

  13. babe on January 24th, 2014 1:50 pm

    To me it seems like everybody has something to gripe about.No one can be happy.

  14. molino jim on January 24th, 2014 11:40 am

    While trees are nice, I would be willing to bet there are school buses that have to use this road. During heavy rain and fog I guess the people will feel better for their kids on a paved road. If you want oak trees– plant some on your own property and live long enough to enjoy them. To bad we can’t move forward about ECAT– the tax is there so let it be. Those who are going to drive to Santa Rosa or Ala. to get gas may wish to check the prices before going for a drive.

  15. A. on January 24th, 2014 11:08 am

    I find it ironic that one column of NE is celebrating Arbor Day and the other column is covering the destruction of these majestic trees.

  16. Ron on January 24th, 2014 10:34 am

    Jane
    County Commissioners may not let the trees be cut but they would charge us fee to drive down the road and give it to ECAT!!!

  17. tom on January 24th, 2014 10:20 am

    I have lived in the bratt area for a long time, with that said their are a lot less tree’s (oaks) than their were when I moved here. They cut down are trees years ago and replanted Pines, almost time for another harvest.

  18. Leslie on January 24th, 2014 9:13 am

    Regardless of the reasoning, I really hate seeing these Oak trees cut down. Surely there could have been another solution. No one cares about our planet anymore. Lets just chop everything down and see what else we can build! SMH

  19. Bob on January 24th, 2014 8:36 am

    I have a wonderful idea. I have given all the land the county has asked for in the paving future.. Pull out of there and come pave some of my roads.It would be a welcome sight as none of mine have been paved.

  20. Atmore G on January 24th, 2014 8:35 am

    It is a shame to cut down the trees, but if they cannot move the road, and they are intent on paving it, speeds on the road will greatly increase.. If they are not removed, you will be reading on NE about people hitting them on a regular basis.. Looks like they are way too close to traffic..

  21. Ashley on January 24th, 2014 8:21 am

    Once the road is paved, people will be complaining of speeders. They should have just left the dirt road and the trees alone.

  22. Bob on January 24th, 2014 8:14 am

    It would have been cool if they could have just put a lane on each side and leave the trees in the middle like some downtown areas have.

  23. Resident on January 24th, 2014 8:12 am

    If everyone wants to complain, turn there road to a dirt road and see what they are willing to let be cut down. I find it funny that every comment is more than likely someone who doesn’t live anywhere close. If they are complaining about it being paved then bring the money to my road, needs to be repaved. .

  24. Mary McElvain on January 24th, 2014 8:05 am

    Older trees grow faster and produce more oxygen
    Than younger trees. I hate to think of our
    Future without trees… or plankton (but
    that’s another story).

  25. Resident on January 24th, 2014 7:49 am

    So it’s OK if the county cuts down a dozen or more old oaks but the county throws a fit if the state cuts down oaks on I-10. Double standard?

  26. Citizen on January 24th, 2014 5:24 am

    The county didn’t have any choice but to cut down the trees. The property owner that actually owned the trees gave up a lot of land to get the road paved. Nobody else on that road would give any land up. Maybe if they would have the trees could have stayed

  27. creekbather on January 24th, 2014 4:42 am

    ridiculous, 3-5years from now the fencerow will be grown. up in weedsand bushes

  28. Jane on January 24th, 2014 3:38 am

    This isn’t progress… this is destruction of some lovely old trees! Leave it to the County to destroy something just to pave a road! If this was in Pensacola the County Commissioners would not let this happen.

  29. EMD on January 24th, 2014 1:52 am

    Poor old trees. :’(

  30. Sunny on January 24th, 2014 12:31 am

    This is crazy. Its all about the money. Kill what sustains life in order to “improve’ our living. People have things severally backwards and wonder why our world is going to the dumps.