Trees, Shrubs and Conifers: Our Hearts Are Heavy, 1 by liveoaklady

liveoaklady wrote:
In metro New Orleans we have a bike path/jogging path/park that runs the entire length of Lake Pontchartrain in Jefferson Parish. It was established in the late 1970's and everything done had to be approved by the local levee board and the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers. The Corps encouraged us to plant trees and shrubs because they would "hold the soil." We spent years planning and planting on this 10 mile stretch. About every three miles was a small area with benches, bird baths and flowering shrubs. We planted live oaks and trees that would feed birds. It was legislatively declared a Bird Sanctuary. In the 1980's it was declared a National Trail. Hundreds of people enjoyed it every day and senior citizens met regularly at one of the little rest areas.
Yesterday, the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers sent a tree company out to begin cutting down every tree between the lake and the levee on the Park. They consulted no one.
We can only grieve for the beautiful oaks, cypresses, and other magnificent trees that lived valiantly through the hurricane winds of Katrina, only to be slaughtered by the Corps of Engineers.
This is a photo I took recently.