City arts representatives and a local chainsaw carver discussed converting a declining cedar in Pioneer Park into a relief sculpture called “Nature's Throne,” intended as a public-art piece that nods to the farmers market and downtown Puyallup.

A city staff member said an arborist identified the tree "a couple years ago" as "starting to go into decline" and that "the responsible thing to do was to remove the tree and take it down." The staff member added that "it was the arts commission and the city's idea to take this beautiful tree and turn it into something that'll last for a long time."

The carver described the proposed design and process. "I spend, somewhere between 7 days to 2 weeks, maybe longer, on a piece," the artist said, adding that the work often becomes "part of you" and, they hope, part of the community. The artist described the sculpture as a "big cedar slab" titled "Nature's Throne," with a bee carved in low relief and owls that "are gonna melt with the herons."

The speakers framed the carving as part of downtown cultural vibrancy. "The city of Puyallup has great parks, and downtown here, the Pioneer Park is the core of our park system," the carver said. "I think public art is so important to just the vibrancy of downtown, the attraction to downtown, and also just adds to the culture of the city of Puyallup."

The artist said the sculpture is intended to be legible both from a distance and up close so passersby are drawn in, "and then they start to see the story." They also said visitors could sit with and touch the work, becoming "kind of a living piece in the center of the park."

The transcript did not specify funding sources, a timeline for installation beyond the carver's work estimate, or any formal approvals required; those steps were not discussed in the recorded remarks.