NEED TO KNOW
- Officials in Kyle, Texas, are spending nearly $1 million to relocate a 400-year-old oak tree to complete a road widening project
- The Old Stagecoach Heritage Oak Tree, nicknamed “Jolene” spans 51 inches in diameter, but city officials say the massive tree sits within 6 inches of the edge of the road’s pavement
- It is set to be relocated a quarter-mile north, costing the city around $932,800
Officials in Texas are spending just under $1 million to relocate a centuries-old oak tree in order to complete a road widening project.
The total cost to move the Old Stagecoach Heritage Oak Tree, which spans 51 inches in diameter, totals about $932,800, according to the city of Kyle. NBC affiliate KXAS reported that the tree, whose future was uncertain until earlier this year, is about 400 years old and known by many as “Jolene.”
“The tree is older than the United States,” local protester Casey Landers said in January, according to the station. “We need to preserve it.”
In their statement, city officials noted that the “future of the tree has been a topic of discussion since 2020 when staff began evaluating roadway improvements that were later approved by voters.”
Officials said that the tree sits within 6 inches of the edge of the road’s pavement and that they “explored multiple options,” including “removing the tree and preserving the wood for an art project, relocating the tree, and realigning the Old Stagecoach Road Project around the tree.”
A Change.org petition to save the tree racked up more than 2,000 signatures online.
“I have lived in Kyle for 25 years and that tree has been a HISTORIC part of our town. That tree has been here long before us, it deserves to be protected and preserved to last a LONG time after us,” a Kyle resident named Sam wrote in support of the petition.
But in February, city council members voted to move it, according to NBC affiliate KXAN.
The tree will be transplanted from its current location to an area a quarter-mile north. Its new home will be transformed into a “parklet” or pocket park to help protect it, city officials said, adding the new area was chosen to due “its proximity to the tree’s current location and its matching soil profile.”
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According to a timeline laid out by the city, the relocation is set to take place this fall, and post-relocation care will be underway from 2025 to 2027 in order to help the tree stay alive. A Kyle city official did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for additional information.
“Although relocation does not guarantee survival according to multiple contracted studies done on behalf of the City of Kyle by certified arborists, the city is committed to the long-term maintenance efforts needed to give the live oak its best chance,” city officials said online.
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