As part of efforts to ensure pedestrian and campus safety, WVU announced earlier this year plans to remove five historic trees from the Downtown area of campus. WVU will begin removing the trees on Wednesday, Dec. 2, and work is expected to complete on Tuesday, Dec. 8.
The sugar maple on the eastern side of Chitwood Hall.
The American elm between Martin Hall and Elizabeth Moore Hall.
The American sycamore in front of Elizabeth Moore Hall.
The red oak between Elizabeth Moore Hall and Purinton House.
The sweetgum on the southside of the Purinton House.
The University removed two of the trees (the sugar maple on the eastern side of Chitwood Hall and the red oak between Elizabeth Moore Hall and Purinton House) during spring break in mid-March.
WVU plans to remove the three remaining historic trees (the American elm between Martin Hall and Elizabeth Moore Hall, the American sycamore in front of Elizabeth Moore Hall and the sweetgum on the southside of the Purinton House) once many students, faculty and staff leave campus for winter break.
The University also plans to remove a non-historic sugar maple on the northeast corner of Colson Hall during this time.
“Many of these trees have undergone significant mitigation work since the 1960s, including pouring concrete into the base of the American sycamore in front of Elizabeth Moore Hall,” said Joshua Pritts, campus arborist at WVU. “It’s an unfortunate but a real part of a tree’s life cycle that we lose them to storm events, pests, disease and abiotic factors.”
To accommodate the removal of the American sycamore in front of Elizabeth Moore Hall, University Avenue will be reduced to a single lane for vehicular traffic from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. beginning Wednesday, Dec. 2, and continuing through Friday, Dec. 4.
To honor these historic trees and other trees that have been removed across campus, the Facilities Management Roads and Grounds team is working with the Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design to develop an urban wood program that will make products from the trees’ residual timber.
Further, several new trees have been or will be planted in proximity to the historic trees that are slated for removal.
Traci Knabenshue, sustainability director for WVU, said, “We don’t like losing any trees. But through our Tree Campus USA designation, we thoughtfully plan tree maintenance and care so we all can enjoy the many ecological, educational and aesthetic benefits they provide on our campus.”
Visit the Office of Sustainability website for more information and to view FAQs. The site also includes WVU’s current tree inventory and information on how you can get involved with the University’s Tree Campus USA program.
Contact the Sustainability team at sustainability@mail.wvu.edu or 304-293-7916 with any questions. Be sure to follow us on Twitter and Facebook for the latest WVU sustainability news and information.