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Arborist tells board construction removed critical roots of Deodar cedar; offers to tour campuses
Summary
A certified arborist told the board that over-excavation at a new campus removed critical roots from a Deodar cedar and left about three-quarters of its crown dead; he recommended removal and replacement and offered a guided tour of affected school sites.
Paul Cheney, a certified arborist who said he graduated from Cal Poly and holds a contractor's license, addressed the board during public comment about a Deodar cedar at the new Purdue campus on 17th Street. Cheney said he emailed photos to board and student members and described "over excavation in the root zone of this large Deodar tree" that removed critical roots and caused significant dieback. He said "about three quarters of the living tissue of the top of the tree is dead" and recommended the district remove the tree and require the responsible contractor to replace it.
Cheney offered to lead board members on a tour of district campuses to point out additional tree damage he said he has documented and suggested the tree's wood could be milled for student projects. District staff acknowledged receipt of his materials and said an update had been provided in a Friday update and that they would resurface additional information in the next Friday update.
The board thanked Cheney for his offer and one trustee noted a local university (UCR) has arborist programs that could be a resource. No formal action was taken at the meeting; staff indicated they would follow up in the Friday update and could provide further updates or site tours as requested.
Next steps: staff to include an update in the Friday district communication and consider coordinating any requested site visits.
