Feature Story

By Rob Holbert Managing Editor

In Mobile, Live Oaks enjoy much the same status as do “made men” in the Mafia. You can’t touch them. Don’t even think about cutting a limb or trimming a branch or two without a by-your-leave from the city, or you may find yourself in a very unenviable position.

For that reason, people around town seem to become especially upset when tree cutters hired by Alabama Power and bearing the city’s imprimatur drive up and down their streets carving live oaks, water oaks, crepe myrtles and any other species of tree threatening the electrical lines into almost unrecognizable forms. The hired guns can seemingly do things to trees that might get a private citizen shot.

Despite the fact these trees actually exist on the city’s right-of-way, most of us adopt them as “our” trees, and the squealing gets quite loud anytime the tree trimming crews are busy in town – as they have been lately.

Ron Jackson, deputy director of Urban Forestry for the City of Mobile, says despite what people might perceive as rampant destruction of trees at the hands of the power company’s tree cutting service, there is a method to the madness. Jackson says his department works very hard to make sure the trees are protected, but that a balance is maintained that keeps things safe for citizens and homeowners.

“Trees in Mobile have special protection. A state law was passed in 1961 to protect them,” Jackson said. “We make recommendations on how trees should be trimmed. If a citizen is upset with Alabama Power cutting a tree, they’re really upset with me.”

Following a recent cutting by the Asplundh company in Midtown, Lagniappe fielded a couple of calls from upset residents who thought the cutting had been heavy-handed at best. And to the untrained eye, some of the trees looked quite heavily cut. But Jackson says the trees are supposed to be trimmed of three years worth of growth and done in what is called a “slope cut” method. His office actively teaches the tree services how they want Mobile’s trees cut, he said. That still doesn’t keep people from freaking out when they see the end result, though.

“In no way am I trying to say Alabama Power is perfect or the phone company, which also trims trees, are perfect,” Jackson explained. “Sometimes it’s shocking. You’ve got to understand it’s three years’ worth of growth.”

He says it could be worse. Many communities require a five-year cut, Jackson said, which is even more radical looking.

One of the things that can prevent seeing a beloved tree get a very bad haircut is never planting that tree in the first place. Jackson says there is an ordinance that outlines what types of trees can be planted underneath the power lines on the right-of-way. Still, that doesn’t help when the subject is an oak that’s been there 100 years. Jackson says he and his staff are happy to come and look at any tree that might be of concern to a citizen – before or after it’s cut.

“We have the authority to shut down a crew on the site, and there have been times when we’ve shut them all down,” he said.

Jackson says he can even have a specific crew or company banned from cutting trees in Mobile if their work is not up to outlined standards.

As far as tree trimming companies cutting on private property, Jackson says they must get the owner’s permission to come into the yard. In the city’s historic districts, that also presents another problem, since cutting most species of tree in those areas is strongly regulated.

“We can come out to your property and talk about your particular tree. In the historic district, we want to know about any tree coming down. You have to get a permit to remove any tree on private property in the historic district, except a water oak and poplar trees, and some like that,” he said. “Trees make up the community just as much as the buildings.”

Jackson’s office is responsible for overseeing between 62,000 and 65,000 trees on the city’s right-of-way, he said. He and Urban Forestry Coordinator David Daughenbaugh have responsibility for about a quarter of a million trees, he said. So Jackson says when there are concerns about the way trees are cut, he doesn’t mind being called.

In fact, when responding to the calls received by Lagniappe, Daughenbaugh said they did find a water oak on Church Street near Dexter Street that was overcut by the Asplundh crew.

“The water oak was pruned within standards, but because of the way it was pruned and because they didn’t do well in this instance, the tree will probably be a candidate for removal,” Daughenbaugh said.

Rob Holbert is Lagniappe managing editor. Contact him at rholbert@lagniappemobile.com.

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