Three trees in front of Wingo and McAlister have been cut down due to safety concerns on campus for students and staff in the area.
Multiple instances of safety were questioned over the past two years when various tree branches fell in front of Wingo Hall and damaged vehicles.
Larry Lawrence, associate vice president for Facilities, stated that safety concerns were the main reason why the tree in front of McAlister Hall was taken down.
Lawrence said that his decision to cut the trees down has eliminated “the risk of a large limb falling and hurting someone.”
Lawrence shared that a large limb had recently fallen from the tree in front of McAlister Hall, leaving an open hole in the trunk.
This recent incident prompted Lawrence to inspect the surrounding trees in the area.
“The trees near the shuttle stop were deteriorating and thinning at the top with some dead wood in the tree with an apparent decline and forthcoming death of the tree,” Lawrence said. “All that said, I did not want to have another limb to drop thus endangering the life of anyone at all.”
The trees were taken down over the first week of June and were completely cut down by the end of week after the correct paperwork and purchase orders were in place.
Lawrence stated that UCA “most likely” plans on replacing the trees in front of McAlister and Wingo Hall.
“That is a nice lawn area in front of McAlister and is sometimes used to throw a frisbee or have a cookout, etc. so we will look at what the placement of a tree should be,” Lawrence said. “We always work to keep a good balance of trees with varied ages on our campus.”
With the trees coming down, the campus had to relocate a few benches that were originally placed by and under the large trees.
“We are often planting replacement trees as needed and removing trees that may be a hazard,” Lawrence said. “When I see a risk to someone’s life, it is my responsibility to act in such a way that eliminates any risk factors to the best of my ability.”
Other trees on campus have been kept in good condition by Lawrence, Physical Plant, and the occasional arborist when necessary.
“From a campus perspective, our campus trees in general are in good condition,” Lawrence said. “Physical Plant strives to keep an eye on the health of trees and as well to cut out any dead wood that might fall and injure someone or just causes the aesthetics of a tree to look bad.”
UCA plans to plant more trees in the fall, according to Lawrence, and should continue to see various benefits from getting rid of trees that present safety concerns to the campus and its residents.