OBSERVER Photo by M.J. Stafford
The giant tree on the Fenner House lawn was cut down Tuesday.
FREDONIA – The giant, ancient tree in front of the Fenner House is now just a stump.
The tree on Central Avenue, easily one of the largest in Fredonia, got cut down Tuesday after a large branch split off last week.
SUNY Fredonia owns the Fenner House. SUNY Fredonia President Stephen Kolidon told the campus community, “A professional arborist visited the site Friday and submitted a report to the campus over the weekend that recommended removing the tree. After reviewing the report, and after other consultations, I am very sad to inform you that the tree cannot be saved and it poses a significant risk to safety.”
Kolison added, “I am very saddened by this, and I am sure many of you share in this loss. We will work with the tree removal service to salvage wood from the tree and find ways to use the wood to commemorate its history and secure its value as a learning tool. We will also explore replacing this tree with another copper beech tree on our campus.”