During the fall semester about half a dozen trees were cut down around campus due to rot and weakness.

Some of the trees cut down sat in front of Founders Hall, bordering College Avenue.  The trees grew underneath high tension power lines and had to be routinely cut back to protect the lines.  This weakened significantly weakened the trees as they grew, Rick Ewing, vice president of facilities said.

“It was partially at their request and partially we thought it was time we took a couple of large trees down there,” Ewing said.

Although the facilities department usually tries to replace trees that have to be taken out, Ewing said that the university does not plan to replace the trees lining College Ave.

“It actually, I think, presents Founders Hall a little better from the street,” Ewing said.

The large scotch pine by the arch in front of Founders Hall also had to be cut down after several attempts to save the historic tree.

“Unfortunately that was a very historic pine tree and when we took it down, we counted the rings and it was about 130 years old,” Ewing said.  “Which means that it dates back to about the 1870s at about the founding of the university.”

The university has plans to give a new life to the large stump of the pine tree.

“This spring we’re actually going to bring in a carver that’s going to carve an image of an Eagle into that,” Ewing said.

The university plans to keep improving and maintaining trees and other landscaping around campus.

“We have quite a large variety of trees on campus,” Ewing said. “And we’re very proud of that.”