Giant, neon green signs hang from trees along Hwy. 179 between the bridge over Oak Creek and the ‘Y’ intersection — Save Sedona Trees wants to stop them from being cut down.

Giant, neon green signs hang from trees along Hwy. 179 between the bridge over Oak Creek and the ‘Y’ intersection — Save Sedona Trees wants to stop them from being cut down.

“That’s just insane to cut down those trees,” Jim Law, Save Sedona Trees founder and landscape architect, said. Law doesn’t want a single tree to be cut down for the Hwy. 179 Improvement Project.

Arizona Department of Transportation Hwy. 179 Project Manager Carl Burkhalter said that’s not possible.

“There’s just no way we can save every one,” Burkhalter said.

ADOT plans currently call for fewer than 10 trees with a diameter of 18 inches or greater to be cut down — not 60, which is the number quoted in e-mails floating around the community.

Law said Save Sedona Trees retained lawyer Howard Shanker with a $5,000 donation to file an injunction to stop work immediately from half a mile south of the bridge to the ‘Y’ intersection.

Approximately five of the trees ADOT plans to cut down are sycamores, according to Burkhalter, but that could change.

“We’re looking at which ones we can work around,” Burkhalter said.

Damage to trees not slated to be cut down is another concern.

Bob Burke, University of Arizona backyard gardener, said precautions need to be taken to ensure trees in construction zones survive.

Roots can be cut as long as they are outside the drip line, Burke said. The drip line goes out about as far as the canopy extends above the tree, or approximately five to 10 feet.

Dirt can’t be piled around the trunk either, according to Burke. If dirt buries the trunk, the tree will rot.

“That’s really more of a danger than cutting off some roots,” Burke said. He recommends leaving a one- to two-foot buffer zone between dirt piles and trees.

“When you’re building a road some trees are going to have to go but hopefully they’ll save some,” Burke said.

Burkhalter said ADOT hired an arborist to review design plans who made similar recommendations, which ADOT is following. ADOT requires contractors working on the project to hire an arborist as well.

“We’re doing everything we can,” Burkhalter said.

Law wants more.

“If they can do roundabouts for cars, they should be able to do it for trees,” Law said. Law suggests building mini-roundabouts around trees that lie in the path of future sidewalks.

If a worker comes across roots while digging, Law said work should stop immediately and an alternate route should be looked for. If one can’t be found, a cut outside the drip line is acceptable if performed properly.

The cut must be a clean, vertical cut that is sealed with root seal, Law said. That’s the only way to keep the tree from bleeding.

ADOT can’t save all the trees and build needed improvements, such as a new bridge over Oak Creek, according to Burkhalter.

“Unfortunately, you can’t build a bridge and keep the existing bridge open without having some impact,” Burkhalter said.

The new bridge will be built south, or downstream, of the old bridge.

ADOT has just enough room between the existing bridge and the Tlaquepaque arts and crafts village wall to build three-quarters of the new bridge before tearing down the old bridge, according to Burkhalter. With any less space, it wouldn’t be possible.

“We need the room that we’ve got,” Burkhalter said.

Currently, ADOT is not working in the area. Project 2 — improvements from Back o’ Beyond Road to the ‘Y’ intersection — is out to bid until early September.

Arizona Public Service is currently undergrounding utilities in the area and Arizona Water Company is installing new pipes.

Burkhalter said APS also hired an arborist. Both APS and AWC are being held to the same standards ADOT is.

Law doesn’t agree.

Law said he went down to the work site one night — crews work at night to avoid excessive disruption — and workers were doing absolutely nothing to protect the trees.

“This is a ripple effect of ADOT’s expansion of the highway,” Law said.

Save Sedona Trees filed a freedom of information request with ADOT asking for an accurate tree survey that is less than five years old. Law doesn’t think they have one.

Burkhalter said ADOT is reviewing the plan again, after three years of public meetings, to make sure the project has the least amount of impact possible.

ADOT conducted an extensive public input process prior to construction after its first design was contested. The process included more than 70 public meetings with nearly 3,000 participants, according to ADOT records.

Trista Steers can be reached at 282-7795, Ext. 129, or e-mail to tsteers@larsonnewspapers.com.