Subject: Cottonwood danger mitigation
Date: Feb 4 11:54:14 2001
From: Michael Hobbs - Hummer at isomedia.com


Tweets -

At Marymoor Park there is a row of tall, old, decaying cottonwood trees which
are dropping limbs and tops. These trees separate the Pea Patch Community
Gardens from the grass soccer fields. Last summer a gardener narrowly missed
being hit by a falling limb, and the King County Parks department considers
these trees to be a hazard.

The last time they brought in a "tree specialist" to examine a similar row of
trees, the result was that about 50 mature cottonwoods were summarily cut down
(although only half were rotten).

Last year a pair of AMERICAN KESTREL tried (though I don't believe they were
successful) to nest in one of these trees. Currently, it appears that a BARN
OWL is using a hole in one of these trees for either a day roost or a nest.
HAIRY WOODPECKERS have also been seen in these trees recently.

The Parks department is interested in solutions other than immediate removal of
these trees. Does any one have knowledge of successful limbing and topping of
old cottonwoods, or other methods of making these old trees less dangerous?
Does anyone know of anything in the literature about this topic?

Thanks for your help.

== Michael Hobbs
== Kirkland WA
== Hummer at isomedia.com
== http://www.scn.org/fomp/birding.htm