Montesano Grapples With Park Trees

MONTESANO, Wash. - The Home of the Tree Farm is trying to figure out what to do with some baby Sequoia that are dying from the top down.
Montesano Resident Tom Fredrickson urged the council at this week's meeting "let's not let a few bucks stand in the way of keeping some iconic things. My high school's gone, the poplars are gone, you're not taking my trees."
Some business owners near Fleet Park had expressed concern over the 70 year old trees, a citizen survey 2 years ago said %88 percent of respondents wanted to keep them.

Over 60 years ago Rubin Fleet donated the city block to Montesano for exclusive use as a Park. Mr. Fleet was a resident of Montesano until he and his wife moved to California to form Consolidated Aircraft, a very successful manufacturer of two-winged airplanes.

At the time of the donation of the Park property several Sequoia Trees were planted at the rear of the park as well as other landscaping vegetation. As a condition of the dedication of land, any substantial changes to the Park, are required to be approved by the Fleet Foundation. Throughout the years, landscape maintenance has been the only activity undertaken, along with the addition of a Pavilion.