by Grace Rose Gonzales
Hello Neighbors,
So, what is going on at Brackenridge Park and are Heritage Trees really on the chopping block?
Yes, the heritage oak trees are on the chopping block. Feb 16th HDRC is going to consider and vote on the removal of up to 9 Heritage Trees some of them forty-eight” or more in diameter. The trees line an area called Lambert Beach close by the Joske’s Pavilion. The reasons for the removal are to rid the area of Egrets and because the stone wall at the river needs to be repaired. The Planning Commission has already approved a removal of 290 trees in the park, many exceptionally large but not heritage.
The fact of the matter is, the oak trees do not have to be removed to repair the stone walls. The stone walls should be moved out a bit to accommodate the oak trees and a permit is required from the Army Corp of Engineers. That solves that problem of repairing the walls.
The egrets seem to be the main reason for the removal of these trees as the Egrets use the oak trees for nesting. For years, the city has NOT cleaned up after the Egrets and it led to a hazardous situation. But I would argue, your cat box would become a HAZMAT if you did not clean that out for 4 weeks. There are ways to mitigate the Egrets and thinning the trees is one, and noise is the other. But the solution being proposed is, chop the trees and we solve the bird problem.
As you all can imagine, this severe proposed solution is not popular. Removing the canopies provided by these trees will cause flooding during a deluge rainstorm. The canopies hold the water and let it go into the river at a slower pace alleviating flooding. Also, the canopies keep the river cooler in the Summer, so the fish are not cooked in the 120-degree sun. Let’s also cover the oxygen these trees provide, and the cultural treasure they are known for, and there is no good reason to chop the trees down.
The amount of money invested in Brackenridge is nowhere the level that are in put into Hemisphere Park or Hardberger Park. The use of Brackenridge is extremely high from museum goers, tourists, birdwatchers, zoo visitors and residents of the inner-city neighborhoods. The inequity in investment has led to severe deterioration, which this 2017 bond money is to address. But cutting our treasured heritage trees is not responding to the deterioration in a manner that is acceptable. Obviously, it is the easiest solution, and cheapest solution, which staff wants to expedite.
We have an incredible cultural treasure that has not been maintained, and now, the answer will be to privatize the park. The Sunken Garden Amphitheatre is part of this privatizing plan of “cleaning up ‘the park. Removing trees first, next residents, and making this for a money-making venture, is not what this park was gifted for. It was gifted to be an open park, with access for all, and maintained by the city for the citizens.
If you do not agree with these future plans for Brackenridge, contact your councilperson and mayor, let them know, Brackenridge is not for privatization, and our trees and birds should be protected as well as our quality of life.