Community Corner

Newport Loses Another Old Tree

Four beech trees were recently lost in the park next to the Newport Public Library.

A Patch reader asked, why did the City of Newport recently cut down the tree in the grassy hill beside the library?

"It was actually four beech trees we lost recently in the park to disease," answered Scott Wheeler, Tree & Grounds Supervisor. A volunteer estimated 175 rings on the tree although it is more likely the tree was around 150 years old and planted when the King House was built in 1845-47, said Wheeler.

The Newport Tree Society is sponsoring a project to carve benches into the large stump of this former “Newport Tree of the Year”.

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He said this tree is not the last high profile beech tree the city will lose to this root rot disease this year.

 "The beech tree in front  of city hall been almost completely girdled and is scheduled for removal during the holiday school vacation," said Wheeler.  "Phytophthora has killed around 81 percent of the tree's cambium as measured by the circumference.  Of the 89 inches in trunk circumference only 17 inches is covered with live bark."

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