Campus Updates: Tree Removal

August 31, 2023

Dear Friends,

Our church campus is a beautiful place, and one of the most beautiful aspects of our campus is our grand trees. Many of the trees on our campus are more than 70 years old, having grown with the church since its beginning, but unfortunately, some are showing very visible signs of stress and poor health. It’s with a heavy heart that we write to inform you that two of our beloved trees need to be taken down.

Just recently, a large branch from a western red oak in the Garden Cloister fell. If we had been having a parish event, the branch would have caused severe injury or worse. To ensure the safety of everyone walking under and near any of our beautiful old trees, we embarked on a risk assessment by an accredited arborist, another risk assessment by an arborist from the City of Dallas, and a Level 2 Risk Assessment by a third accredited arborist.

In total, three arborists have deemed that the western red oak in the Garden Cloister, along with a live oak located on Colgate Avenue at the west entrance of our parking lot, should be removed given their poor health and high risk of failure. The arborists determined that the red oak in the cloister has large amounts of decay, root issues, several broken limbs, and the presence of boring insects and fungal bodies, and that the live oak has root loss and significant amounts of decay in the trunk and on the stems and branches. Although they may appear to be healthy with some green leaves, the two majestic oaks pose a true safety hazard.

We are very sorry to part with these extraordinary trees, but we want to do all we can to keep everyone who comes to our campus out of harm’s way. Upon removal, we will embark on a replanting plan.

Gratefully,

Saint Michael and All Angels Leadership and Operations