Those of us who routinely drive in Oak Creek Canyon have noticed for several months trees along State Route 89A marked with pink spray paint or ribbons, generally indicative of trees set to be removed. The Arizona Department of Transportation has been slow to inform residents about the nature of the potential removal, telling us earlier this summer, “ADOT is currently evaluating the project, and no final decisions have been made with regard to trees. When we have decided on a course of action, we will notify you and the public.”
However, residents now know that ADOT plans to remove 708 trees in the canyon, as reported by Ron Eland in Wednesday’s edition. ADOT spokesman Ryan Harding said the trees will be removed to improve safety along the roadway and near bridges due to the possi¬bility of the marked trees falling on the road. Of the trees that were marked, 45% are dead or dying, meaning a rock fall, strong breeze, or collision with a vehicle or other falling tree could send them into the roadway. At the least, this could block canyon traffic.
In the worst scenario, a falling or fallen tree could potentially cause a fatality. Another 11% of the marked trees are alive, but leaning over the roadway. Many of these trees, which we canyon drivers have noticed for several years in the thicker parts of the canyon between Pine Flat and Slide Rock, are thick, old growth trees within feet, sometimes inches, of the safety barrier. In a high-speed collision, especially on a bend or curve, the safety barrier will prevent cars from going off into the woods, but won’t stop them from striking objects immediately adjacent as the barrier buckles, as intended.
And yes, there are high-speed collisions in the canyon as traffic thins and cars travel the route alone as opposed to the slow-moving caravan we’re familiar with on the weekend. In the winter, the canyon is significantly colder than Sedona, and that, coupled with shade from cliff walls and tree cover, creates shady patches where black ice remains on the road even with ambient temperatures above freezing, surprising unwary drivers and causing them to skid out. Close-in trees create the potential for a dangerous or even deadly crash should drivers not recover from the skid. According to ADOT, 1 in 8 vehicle accidents in the canyon involve a vehicle that also strikes a tree.
While 708 trees seems like a lot when seen as a standalone number, it is a tiny number when compared to the roughly 380 million trees in the Coconino National Forest, comprising 1.08 billion cubic feet of volume. The selection of the trees to be cut is not a willy-nilly decision, either. ADOT officials worked with the U.S. Forest Service and USFS biologists to protect critical habitats and safeguard the landscape from future erosion caused by removing the selected trees. ADOT catalogued each tree slated for removal, documenting its location, size and condition.
Despite fears from some, ADOT crews will also not be ripping out the entire tree, root and stem. They will leave the root system and stumps so as to maintain the soil integrity that the trees have maintained during their lives. Yes, the look and feel of the canyon may change to those intimately familiar with the look and feel of the copse of trees at each bend, but the vast majority will not notice the difference. But for the safety of all of us who drive the canyon weekly, the removal of these dangerous trees will make the journey safer for us all.
Christopher Fox Graham Managing Editor
