Historic Longview tree threatened by age, railroad

Arborists say a historic black walnut tree planted from a nut 152 years ago to mark the birthplace of Washington Territory is full of decay, and a Longview historic preservationist fears plans to build a railroad spur nearby will crush the ailing tree's roots and hasten its demise.

"This is the most important historic tree in the state of Washington," said Bill Kasch, a retired teacher who"s championed several local historic preservation projects. "I'm representing those old settlers and those people who have been trying to protect it for years."

Those involved with the railroad spur say they'll do their best to protect the tree, which is on a site listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. The tree was placed on the local historic register in 2003.

"We don't want to hurt that tree. On the contrary, we've been trying to help that tree and will continue to do so," said John Leber, general manager of Swanson Bark, the company building the railroad spur.

The walnut tree was planted on a farm in the village of Monticello, located near present-day Tennant Way. There, 44 pioneers held the Monticello Convention in 1852 and petitioned U.S. Congress to split Oregon Territory in two, creating the Washington Territory that eventually would become Washington state.

A flood destroyed Monticello in 1867, but the tree survived. Visible from Tennant Way, the tree stands on the north side of the road just west of Lakeside Industries and the city of Longview billboard. A sign was erected in 2006 at the tree's base that reads, "1852 Monticello Convention: Birthplace of Washington Territory."

Train tracks that cross Tennant Way and run west into Longview lie just 51 feet from the tree's base, and the switch for the new railroad spur will be placed about 45 feet from the tree, city officials said. The tree's critical root zone appears to radiate about 77 feet from the tree in all directions, according to Longview Parks and Recreation Director Rich Bemm.

Swanson Bark is building the railroad spur to provide train access to Sytek, Waste Control, Swanson Bark & Wood Products and possibly Lakeside Industries from BNSF Railway's existing rail line. Setting the ties will disturb the earth to depths of 8 inches to a foot, Leber and the city estimate.

The spur soon will be built on the footprint of a previously existing spur that was removed years ago, but Kasch is worried that heavy construction equipment will compact the soil and damage the tree's roots.

"Compression on a tree like that is very dangerous because you can squash the life," he said Tuesday.

Leber has agreed to the city's request to spread mulch around the tree to cushion its roots during construction and received an arborist's opinion on the tree. But the city doesn't have much say in the end because the tree is within city limits, but by less than 10 feet, so the majority of the project is outside Longview's jurisdiction, Community Development Director John Brickey said.

The tree is on privately owned property and is landlocked by railroad property, diking district land and business property.

"We really would like to see the tree stay and be healthy. That's our goal. But we're just limited on what we can do," he said.

A city arborist who inspected the tree Oct. 8 said it has minor tip die-back, major decay at the base of the trunk and most likely moderate decay higher up in the trunk. The arborist, Kevin Beaty, recommended that when the spur is built, workers should minimize causing root damage or soil compaction. Spreading mulch over the roots would help, he stated, concluding that the work wouldn't further damage the tree's health.

Leber had another arborist look at the tree. That arborist reported the tree is old, tired, incorrectly pruned and probably won't live too much longer, Leber said.

"It's had a hard life," Bemm said.

Some of its limbs were ripped off in the fierce Columbus Day storm of 1962. In the following years, thieves attacked the trees with chain saws for its hardwood, which is valuable for making gun stocks.

Then, about 17 years ago, a city sewer main extension project most likely severed any major tree roots extending toward Tennant Way, Brickey said. The excavation line ran within 10 to 15 feet of the tree trunk, he said, noting that the tree wasn't on the local historic register at the time, and so the city didn't have guidelines with regard to its preservation.

Nevertheless, "it survived that," Brickey said. By comparison, the rail spur doesn't seem like it would have much impact, he said.

Although Kasch doesn't want to see the tree die, he's already got a backup plan. A couple years ago, he planted a few starter trees from walnuts he collected from the old tree. The city's Parks Department is taking care of the trees which are between 3 and 4 feet high now at its nursery.

When the tree eventually calls it quits, the city will seek permission from property owner Leona Fowler Kalliwick to plant one of the starter trees in its place, Bemm said.

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Information from: The Daily News, http://www.tdn.com