Originally posted on FB by the ENTS:
Historic bald cypress collapses after catching on fire

-AJ

Got the bad news from Pinyata earlier today. As I suspected the fire apears to be intetionally set.

“From my observations, I would say it was arson,” said Michael Martin from the Florida Forestry Service.

I fear that we will see a lot more of this as the popularity of publishing GPS coordinates for champion trees increases. If you are someone who thinks that is is cool to show the world that you know where a big tree is, consider that there are peole out there who are intent to destroy them just for the enjoyment of destroying something that other people love.

The practice, from both parties, makes me sick.

I have personally witnessed vandalism to ancient trees in the Jacksonville area.

Looks like mixed opinions on arson or not

As far as publicizing notable woods trees goes (not the champs in city/town parks and people's yards), greatest danger I think to the wild ones is too many visitors wrecking the ground at the site and potentially too many climbers ruining the wild aspect of the tree by climbing all over it and busting out deadwood, breaking off live branches, knocking down epiphytes etc. No different than my favorite places in the woods, I only bring a limited number of people to them and usually they have no idea how to get there again.

Right now there just aren't enough climbers actively looking to climb the tallest woods trees thoughout the U.S., except for the "tallest in the world" trees in California which are definitely attracting international pressure to climb. And a limited number of eastern sites like Congaree which are also climber magnets.

It's true though on a local level, you get the classic teenager activity, equivalent to going into a cemetery and knocking over gravestones, special trees get vandalized. The tallest white pine in my area has scars from someone's stupid idea to wail on it with an axe, teenage lumberjack fantasy I guess. Luckily they didn't know how to sharpen their axe and gave up when they probably realized they'd be there all day swinging the axe.
-AJ

See east coast tree measuring expert Will Blozan's comments on the demise of the Senator here

Will's quote:



Bear in mind when Will says "largest" he's referring to overall wood volume not height. I think at least one of the largest eastern trees he reported as collapsed was a white pine. The Sag Branch Tuliptree is in western North Carolina.
-AJ

On the subject of superlative eastern trees, the current tallest measured hardwood in North America is the Fork Ridge Tuliptree also in western North Carolina, 190+ feet tall. Not the largest volume tree in the east. I posted Blozan's report on the Fork Ridge Tuliptree measuring climb here

Long Live The Senator Tree!!!
-AJ

woah. very sad, I wish I could have seen this tree when I was down there.


There were billboards telling people where this tree stood, and people used to pay to see it! I dont think that the questionable practice of sharing tree locations applies on this one Hunab.

Although, I hope it wasnt vandalism...

Hope they catch the arsonist, bury him, and plant a cypress tree on top of him. Trees need nutrients.

The University of Michigan says: Since 1600, 90% of the virgin forests that once covered much of the lower 48 states have been cleared away. Most of the remaining old-growth forests in the lower 48 states and Alaska are on public lands. In the Pacific Northwest about 80% of this forestland is slated for logging." Quoting Brant Olson, from The Understory.

It seems in America, we're not done killing the big trees. They just clear cut 106 acres here. Several large construction projects clear cut other significant woods. It's easy to point the finger at the people in the Rainforests for cutting down their trees while America's thirst for trees continues unabated. One drunk teen burning one damaged tree hardly makes a difference other than sentimental. Wait till the power grid goes out in the dead of winter because of terrorism or a wicked storm putting people without power for months. Watch how quick trees will disappear for firewood. One day the America will look like the middle east - rocks, sand, weeds, and no trees. How sad...

Meantime, if you're looking to conquer a big cypress, we still have a nice one here in south Alabama. Want the GPS coordinates? Hehehe. Just kidding! I can take you there though, but it will require canoeing. Here is a photo I took during flooding (The ground is usually dry here.) This bald cypress makes the trees around it look like dwarfs. The guy in the Canoe is looking at a big spider on the tree which you can actually see in the photo. The fishing spider is about elbow high about a foot away from his canoe on the tree edge. I'm too chicken to climb it by myself. First limbs are high so it will require a Big Shot which I don't have. SRT only unless you got a long rope.

I was very, very sad to see this.
Duane's right that this wasn't an issue of the publicizing of GPS coordinates, but I think Hunabku was just making a point that this kind of thing may very well happen to big wild trees is they are publicized.
The reason Hunab mentions this right now, I think, is that there is a group of guys out of Jacksonville (non-climbers) who want to publish GPS coordinates of some of our favorite ancient bald cypress. Absolutely horrendous idea, and we will be letting them know about it
For those of you who have had the pleasure of climbing our giant North Florida bald cypress, if you want their contact information, I'd be happy to oblige

Meth addict charged with setting fire that killed the Senator Tree

-AJ