Saving the Norris elm

Council hears proposal to help save city’s historic tree

June 23, 2021 by G. Chambers Williams III

Norris City Council members were told last week that the city’s Tree Commission has voted unanimously to recommend a $5,850 plan to help save one of the city’s beloved landmarks – the giant elm tree in the Commons area downtown.

The 87-year-old tree, which is dying and in danger of collapsing, has been blocked off by police tape for more than a year, and city officials have been worried that it might need to be removed for safety reasons.

But the Tree Commission was presented a plan during a special meeting earlier this month that might keep the tree safe and viable for at least the next five years.

During the City Council meeting, Tree Commission Chairman Chuck Nicholson told the council that the commission believes that a plan to replace support cables and trim out about one-third of the sprawling tree’s crown could make it safe enough to keep in the park area.

According to the proposal from Cortese Tree Specialists of Knoxville, trimming on the tree, at a cost of $3,375, would achieve “crown reduction [and] pruning of [the] entire tree to reduce weight and foliage by about one-third; [pruning out] dead and broken branches 1.5 inches in diameter and larger.”

The proposal by the tree service also suggests spending $1,500 for cleanup and removal of all debris from the pruning of the tree, and $975 to remove broken support cables and install two new cables.

Additionally, the Cortese arborist would “make annual inspections to monitor status of the cables and stability of the tree for the next five years.”

City Manager Scott Hackler will need to decide whether he believes the work will make the tree safe enough to preserve, Mayor Chris Mitchell said.

While council members took no action on the proposal Monday night, the council eventually would have to approve the plan and appropriate the money needed to pay for the work.

The tree dates to the founding of Norris in 1934, and has been a prominent element in the commons area since. It’s even listed as an historic tree within the state on the website of the Tennessee Urban Forestry Council (tufc.com/project/commons-elm/), which says:

“Ulmus Americana: Within the English Commons of the city of Norris stands this magnificent American elm. Planted by the Tennessee Valley Authority in mid-1930s when the town was built, the tree is over eighty years old and stands some 83 feet over the Commons.

“Norris, the first planned community in the country, was the first Tree City USA in Tennessee, certified in 1979. State Forester Max Young presented the Tree City flag within the shadow of this elm in 1980.

“The Norris Tree Commission is responsible for its care and protection. Through careful maintenance and pruning, the tree has survived the ravages of Dutch Elm disease and weather.

“This tree in front of Norris Middle School remains a hallmark tree for the community,” the listing concludes.

Hackler has said that the tree eventually will have to be removed.

“I hope that when that happens, we can offer pieces of the tree to people who want them as keepsakes,” he said.