I Love Nature and Trees But...

[Oakman]

It’s time for the 300 year old Burr Oak in the campground at Meramec State Park in Missouri to go. The only part of that tree that is still alive is the one limb that extends over the campground road. There is no way to drive around that limb without having some of the branches drag across the roof of high profile 5th wheel trailers. After a rain some branches hang as low at 10 feet. If they don’t want to remove the tree then at least they should extend the blacktop road away from the tree so it won’t cause damage to trailers. Missouri State Parks should also post a low clearance warning on the Meramec SP camping webpage. Here are a couple pics of the tree.

[D_E_Bishop]

Slightly of the subject of pruning trees in a campground, but, in California, oak trees are protected. Most of the natural Valley and Scrub oaks have been removed for farming and residential development. Now you cannot prune any part of an oak tree as a homeowner. They can only be pruned by an Arborist. My rig is 11' 8" and the street to my home has several scrub oaks as close as 0.0" from the back of the curb. Much of the road abuts a 1:1 slope with oaks growing of the cuts.

Not my land and the owners don't care if my rig is damaged and the City won't prune them because they are not on City property.

We live in what the City calls a fire zone and we have to keep trees pruned to one third the height of the tree or up to 6' for trees over 18'. At $200 an hour or thereabouts, in our backyard it would require at least 8 hours to prune the trees, most of which are oaks. The estimate for pruning just the oaks was $1200 plus the cost of removal.

Fortunately my neighbors really like having me prune all of the bushes and trees that overhang our street and I only prune to the back of the curb and 12" leaving a canopy and virtually a hedge at the roadside. Nobody complains but someday a Dudley Do-Right will see me do it and call City Hall.

[Dick_B]

Maybe if the entrance fee was something like $40 there would be enough money to take down the tree. It's a lot cheaper to put out a few cones.

[rhagfo]

Boy, while it is historical significant, the state needs to understand the liability of having a dead tree park. Have it cut tall and make an exibit out of it.

[time2roll]

I agree. Unless it is an endangered species or difficult to grow that tree can be made into mulch.
Of course plant two replacements in the vicinity a bit more distance from the road.

[azrving]

Tree huggers to a mindless degree. Same thing in Big Bend, host said OH no we don't want to cut anything. I said but we can't park in the spots because the branches are growing in. He said you have to park elsewhere.

Why build a campground just to let it be over grown. If they like that big old tree why build a road so close to it? There are also private parks with tree limbs that damage rig after rig. It's insanity.

Wouldn't an RV area seem like the place where an RV WOULDN'T be damaged. Lol

[mat60]

Maybe they have a on site RV repair guy.

[bukhrn]

At 11' it's going to hit more than the tall 5ers, mine is 11-4.