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With state funding up in air, Indy up in arms over cutting of trees |
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Saturday, 10 January 2009 |
 Approximately 100 trees in Independence are sporting orange markings, indicating that they will be cut down to make way for wider lanes down U.S. 395. Residents in Independence are hoping Caltrans will hold off on cutting down the trees until funding for the remainder of the Independence/Manzanar Four-Lane Project is secure. Photo by Mike Gervais By Mike Gervais
Register Staff
1-8-2009 As the state attempts to navigate through its budget conundrum, residents in Independence are fighting to save 100 local trees that have been targeted for removal to make way for the Independence/Manzanar Four-Lane Project.
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced last week that the state would cut funding for bond projects, which includes the Independence/Manzanar Four-Lane project. At that time, residents in Independence released a sigh of relief, hoping that, with the uncertain future of the project, the state agency would spare the 100 trees that line U.S. 395.
But it appears Caltrans is still planning to remove the trees and continue working on the highway project until it hears for sure that funding will be denied.
That has brought a whole new set of issues forward for the people of Independence.
With the state’s hold on bond payouts and uncertainty about the project’s future with state funding, “our fear is that they will cut all our trees down and never widen the highway,” Independence resident and Bishop business owner Benett Kessler said.
“We have an absolute commitment to keeping our projects moving forward,” said Caltrans Deputy District Director for Planning and Programing Brad Mettam.
“There is certainly concern out there about funding, but the most likely thing is that work on this will continue,” Deputy District Director for Project Maintenance Brian Winzenread said, adding that the worst case scenario would be a delay on the project. “This project will get finished.”
With the financing for the highway project up in the air, the Independence Civic Club recently sent a letter to Caltrans District 9 Director Tom Hallenbeck, asking that his agency refrain from removing the trees until the future of the project is secure.
According to Kessler, Hallenbeck said Monday that Caltrans had no plans to begin removing the trees until next week, at the earliest. But as Kessler headed into work Tuesday morning she saw a Caltrans crew beginning to cut down trees at Citrus Park at the south end of town.
According to Kessler, she informed the employees that Hallenbeck had not planned on cutting the trees down until next week, and threatened to place herself between the trees and the Caltrans chain saws.
Ultimately, the Caltrans crew moved on to another project, leaving the remains of two downed trees behind.
“The contractor did a couple trees on Monday (a week ahead of schedule) because he had some free people,” Winzenread said.
In response to the outcry from residents, Caltrans has decided to wait until next week to continue removing trees.
“Work on the trees was always scheduled to begin on the 12th,” Mettam said. “It’ll probably be some time before they finish that up.”
The four-lane project includes a tree-replacement program. Independence property owners who have trees removed from their yards will be monetarily compensated for their losses. “What they do with that money is up to them,” Mettam said.
Also, all the trees that are removed from public, county-owned or state-owned property will be replaced with new trees.
But with the funding for the project in such a shaky state, residents in Independence are concerned that there may not be money available to replace the trees.
If funding for the $43 million project is denied, “that would include funding for the tree replacements,” Kessler said. “What we want is for Caltrans to say, ‘Hey, we’ll wait.’”
According to Mettam, Caltrans is currently working on 39 projects that are funded through state bonds. “They are our priority.”
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 25 April 2009 )
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