Tree Harvest

Part of being a pastor is making tough decisions. This is especially true when it comes to moving the ball forward. That being said, after much consultation and discernment, we decided to remove a big evergreen in front of the church.

This initial conversation got started because the tree is in the way of flying a flag on our flagpole. After not having any luck on getting it trimmed, I started to wonder what life would be like if the tree were gone altogether. After all, it's counterpart to the left was removed in the not to distant past. 

This girl is a beauty. A good 75' tall and healthy. But she leans and her roots are shallow. Also, if it was removed, the entire east side of the church would be exposed for people to see. With all this considered, as well as a company being available for the job, we pulled the trigger on harvesting our big evergreen. 

Ty and crew didn't mess around when they showed up for work. The right equipment makes all the difference. 

With the crane, they could basically take it apart in segments. First came the top. Quite the site.

Our plan was to save the lumber, so they delimbed every section they took down.

Then came the upper middle half.

Once they had a pile of limbs they hauled them off with the skid-steer. 

Then the bottom section. They had to lift it up above the flagpole to swing into the street. 

While they were in the boom, we had them run a new rope through the pulley on top of the flagpole.

Then they removed the final trunk portion. A good 80 growth rings on this guy, which would make sense considering the age of the church. 

Should be able to get some board feet out of this good stuff in a year or two. 

Once done, they ground up the stump.

Meanwhile, Darin and I hung our Nation's flag and our State's flag.

Muy Bien. 

There is definitely some bittersweetness to this project. Cutting down a live tree should never be taken lightly, and I don't think we did. At the same time, healthy harvesting of a tree does have a place in good stewardship. It'll take a bit for the dust of this project to settle, but I think in time it will prove to be a good move for the future of our Church. What we'll do with the lumber...? Time will tell. In the meantime, we thank God for the beauty of His creation and the gift that tree has been for so long. May its memory be eternal in our hearts, pictures, and the future furniture she provides. Ranching forward.