Last weekend, a total of eight trees were cut down and removed from UW-Eau Claire’s campus. The trees were located on lower campus on the north side of Schofield Hall, and the south side of the Old Library. The trees cut down were either diseased or too close to the buildings.

Building and grounds superintendent Lynn Peterson said while she’s not sure what diseases the trees on the north side of Schofield had, she knew they were unsafe, and needed to be cut. It would be better to cut the trees down, and to grow new ones, she said.

The trees on the south side of the Old Library were removed since they grew too big, outgrowing their space. This affects the buildings and sidewalks around the trees.

“The roots extend past their canopy, and try to get into the foundations of the buildings,” Peterson said. “Sidewalks can also rise and crack as well. It was becoming a hazard for students and faculty.”

Freshman Bre Bursaw said the removal of the trees would affect the aesthetics of the campus.

“That’s the reason I came here, because of the nature,” Bursaw said. “That’s one of the prettiest parts of campus. A lot of people walk by there. It will look a lot less pretty without the trees by the buildings.”

Grounds supervisor Randy Palmer said it was hard to see some of the plants go. Two of the trees removed were maple trees, which he said were gorgeous in the fall time. Some of the other trees, such as the Norway Maple Trees, were easier to see go. Those were the trees planted too close to the buildings.

Even though eight trees were taken out, replacements will be planted, possibly as soon as this summer. Eau Claire plans to plant Spring Flurry Serviceberry, a native tree species suited to the site and that grows fruit. These trees will be planted on the south side of the Old Library.

“We try very hard to plant native trees and to stay away from invasive species. What happens with invasive plants is the seeds drop, and find their way into the Chippewa River,” Peterson said. “Eventually, they will plant and grow along the water, and shade out the sun. This kills the native plants under them since there’s no sunlight for them.”

Palmer said there are no plans to replace the trees on the north side of Schofield. This is because the university plans to reconstruct Garfield Avenue in the upcoming years.

“We’re looking at realigning Garfield, so we’re not sure where trees will be planted,”Palmer said. “It will be moved south so we can get a new ramp off of the footbridge.”

The project should start sometime in 2014, however, Palmer said the designs have yet to be made. Not only is this a setback on the reconstruction of the road, but a setback on new tree plantings to replace the ones taken down.

Once this project is in motion, trees will be replanted and the natural beauty of campus will be restored.