Storm weakened Oregon's big Sitka spruce

SEASIDE, Ore. - The nation's tallest Sitka spruce could be on its last limbs.

Last week's strong winds knocked a section of rotted wood from the trunk of the 204-foot tree southeast of Seaside, and experts say the tree may not stand much longer.

"That tree could fail at any minute," said arborist Terry Flanagan, a consultant to Clatsop County.

The Sitka is an Oregon icon. A sign on U.S. 26, some 1 1/2 miles east of its junction with Highway 101, diverts a steady stream of traffic across a single-lane bridge into a parking lot not far from the base of the majestic tree.

Though many motorists make it a point to visit the Sitka on their way to the coast, others simply see the sign, "Largest Sitka spruce tree in the United States," and turn in out of curiosity.

Using all measurements, it has been co-crowned, along with a Sitka spruce in Lake Quinault, Wash., as the largest in the country.

But the Oregon Sitka has been in decline since it was struck by lightning about five decades ago. This summer, a large limb fell.

"We've had strong warnings this tree was in trouble," Flanagan said. "What this storm did was put an exclamation point on it."

The 750-year-old Oregon tree is most likely the state's oldest and has been admired through time, said Paul Ries, forester with the Oregon Department of Forestry. "We know foresters passed up that tree when they were scouting for lumber during World War I," he said.

Ries acknowledges that the prognosis looks bleak, but says it's too early to fetch the chain saw.

County officials have yet to say what they will do with the tree. Meanwhile, the viewing deck around the Sitka is closed, and Klootchy Creek Park officials are asking people to stay away.

If it does come down, Flanagan says it will be a sad end for a great tree. "It's so massive, it's impressive," he said. "And that's what people will miss _ the uniqueness