It's Monday June 8, 2026
June 8, 2026
To cut down a decaying tree or maintain it a little longer? The Oriental Tree Board writes in about a favored, but failing, tree in Lupton Park.If you have been to Edward Lupton Park in the last few days, it’s hard not to notice the yellow barrier tape that has been erected by the town. The tape is there to provide a safety zone to keep people out from beneath the large aging multi-trunk pecan and while the foliage looks full, there is visible decay in both the lower trunk and the upper crown.During a recent inspection by Dr. Bob Miller, the Tree Board director emeritus, it was determined that the visible decay and the proximity to the playground equipment and picnic shelter represented an unnecessary risk, and he recommended that the tree be put on the list for removal. With Dr. Miller’s assessment, the current Tree Board director, John Deaton, arranged to have the tree removed and the tree was scheduled for removal on Friday June 5th.
In response to the scheduled removal, a concerned resident hired a certified risk assessment arborist to evaluate the tree for defects and targets and provide an opinion. The resulting report recognized the concerns, and offered two paths:
1) a path of mitigation which made recommendations for structural pruning to reduce the weight of the crown, removal of dead limbs and decay in the crown, monitoring and reassessment after storm events and on an annual basis, protection of the critical root zone with mulch to prevent on-going soil compaction and mechanical damage and, installation of support systems if the future condition of the tree warrants such action.
2) remove the tree if maintenance and monitoring are not feasible or if management capacity is limited. More trees will be planted.
Action has been halted until the commissioners can review the financial commitment to follow the suggested mitigation actions or the removal of the tree. Clearly, if the commissioners decide on removal, it will be a loss to all people that have enjoyed the shade and the pecans through the years. But the commissioners will have to weigh the benefits of maintaining an old tree against the potential for someone to be hurt, both mentally and / or physically and the town’s responsibility to protect the public from an identified risk.
The commissioners will be meeting on Tuesday June 9th, and the tree discussion is on the docket.
John Deaton
Chair of the Oriental Tree Board
Oriental, NC
June 8, 2026The Pecan Tree in Lupton Park, surrounded by caution tape.
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