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The National Park Service is going to begin work to repair a crumbling sea wall around DC’s tidal basin. The basin, located near the Jefferson and FDR memorials, was built in the late 1800’s to control flooding on the Potomac River. The Lincoln Memorial is built on land that was previously part of the river. Since the 1800’s the sea wall has settled as much as five feet. The Jefferson Memorial is also sinking but that’s another problem. The construction will take three years and require the removal of 300 trees including 140 cherry trees. Upon completion, they will plant 455 trees including 274 cherry trees. 

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25 minutes ago, Parsnip Totin Jack said:

The National Park Service is going to begin work to repair a crumbling sea wall around DC’s tidal basin. The basin, located near the Jefferson and FDR memorials, was built in the late 1800’s to control flooding on the Potomac River. The Lincoln Memorial is built on land that was previously part of the river. Since the 1800’s the sea wall has settled as much as five feet. The Jefferson Memorial is also sinking but that’s another problem. The construction will take three years and require the removal of 300 trees including 140 cherry trees. Upon completion, they will plant 455 trees including 274 cherry trees. 

Great they are replacing with more cherry trees.  I guess some of us will still be alive if they continue to bloom-bountiful  and get taller ...fast.

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4 minutes ago, Mr. Silly said:

Maybe they can replace them with Callery pear trees.  I understand their blooms have a wonderful aroma.

From 72 Tree.com: the Callery pear tree fragrance is described as a mixture of male semen and vomit. Apropos for the location but the tree is an invasive weed that ought to be eradicated. 

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I used to hate those cherry trees when I lived in DC.  When they'd bloom, the tourist would flock to them backing up traffic on 395 over the Memorial Bridge and past the Pentagon.  The tourist would screw up 27 too,

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7 minutes ago, Parsnip Totin Jack said:

From 72 Tree.com: the Callery pear tree fragrance is described as a mixture of male semen and vomit. Apropos for the location but the tree is an invasive weed that ought to be eradicated. 

why do I open these, what seem like harmless threads🙄

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4 minutes ago, Mr. Silly said:

I used to hate those cherry trees when I lived in DC.  When they'd bloom, the tourist would flock to them backing up traffic on 395 over the Memorial Bridge and past the Pentagon.  The tourist would screw up 27 too,

Natives learned to stay far away during cherry blossom season. 

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3 minutes ago, Mr. Silly said:

I used to hate those cherry trees.  When they'd bloom, the tourist would flock to them backing up traffic on 395 over the Memorial Bridge and past the Pentagon.  The tourist would screw up 27 too,

When my mom came to visit me in DC in 1987 she as well as a BIL both worked for a school district so came out during spring break.  We made a trip to DC and hit the cherry blossoms in bloom.  It was beautiful so I get the appeal.  

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20 minutes ago, Parsnip Totin Jack said:

The National Park Service is going to begin work to repair a crumbling sea wall around DC’s tidal basin. The basin, located near the Jefferson and FDR memorials, was built in the late 1800’s to control flooding on the Potomac River. The Lincoln Memorial is built on land that was previously part of the river. Since the 1800’s the sea wall has settled as much as five feet. The Jefferson Memorial is also sinking but that’s another problem. The construction will take three years and require the removal of 300 trees including 140 cherry trees. Upon completion, they will plant 455 trees including 274 cherry trees. 

Did they discuss replanting or just replacing them?

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9 minutes ago, Parsnip Totin Jack said:

Natives learned to stay far away during cherry blossom season. 

I sometimes still find the time to venture down there during peak season. When I was working downtown pre-COVID, that was a great lunchtime ramble.

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23 minutes ago, Randomguy said:

Why?  I like cherries, but I have never seen a real cherry tree.  I have seen a lot of cherry blossoms, though.

Only because a lot of blooming cherry trees are beautiful to see. I miss VAncouver for this.  I did a cherry blossom blog post almost every spring when I lived there.

The Canadian city for lots of cherry trees...against some mountains...is Vancouver.  For about 4 wks.  It's sensational.   Cherry Blossom Bouquets, Sharing Obsession – Cycle Write Blog (wordpress.com)

Beauty Long for Now – Cycle Write Blog (wordpress.com)

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34 minutes ago, Parsnip Totin Jack said:

The construction will take three years and require the removal of 300 trees including 140 cherry trees. Upon completion, they will plant 455 trees including 274 cherry trees. 

Onward! What a project. 

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19 minutes ago, Parsnip Totin Jack said:

Yep, when the sea wall project is completed in 2027, they will add 455 trees including 274 cherry trees. 

So I probably shouldn't visit DC until after 2027.  Good to  know. I do want to visit DC again. Was there about 25 yrs. ago and coincidentally in spring. Except I didn't wander over there.  I remember dogwood flowering trees.

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1 minute ago, Parsnip Totin Jack said:

Yep, when the sea wall project is completed in 2027, they will add 455 trees including 274 cherry trees. 

Sorry I wasn’t clear, I wonder if they can salvage the existing cherry trees and replant those when it’s done.  

In CA replacing trees is huge business.  They have a way to pull them from the ground like a giant weed, put them in a giant wooden plantar box and then replant them somewhere else.  Many new developments out here want mature trees from the get go so I was wondering if they could do a similar process.  

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2 minutes ago, shootingstar said:

So I probably shouldn't visit DC until after 2027.  Good to  know. I do want to visit DC again. Was there about 25 yrs. ago and coincidentally in spring. Except I didn't wander over there.  I remember dogwood flowering trees.

Dogwoods bloom about three to four weeks after the cherry trees do. The cherry trees were originally a gift from Japan after the turn of the 20th century. The Japanese prize the trees as they are a reminder of brief bursts of beauty that occur in nature and our lives. 

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5 minutes ago, ChrisL said:

Sorry I wasn’t clear, I wonder if they can salvage the existing cherry trees and replant those when it’s done.  

In CA replacing trees is huge business.  They have a way to pull them from the ground like a giant weed, put them in a giant wooden plantar box and then replant them somewhere else.  Many new developments out here want mature trees from the get go so I was wondering if they could do a similar process.  

I don’t believe that they are going to try and save the trees. I may be wrong, but pulling, storing, and planting 300 trees is more expensive than cutting them down. One tree, nicknamed Stumpy, is on the chopping block.

IMG_2168.jpeg

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34 minutes ago, Parsnip Totin Jack said:

I don’t believe that they are going to try and save the trees. I may be wrong, but pulling, storing, and planting 300 trees is more expensive than cutting them down. One tree, nicknamed Stumpy, is on the chopping block.

IMG_2168.jpeg

Stumpy is trying his best.  He did nothing wrong.  Let him live!

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2 hours ago, Parsnip Totin Jack said:

Natives learned to stay far away during cherry blossom season. 

I know.  I didn't have a choice.  I did computer field service.  My office was in Alexandria on Eisenhower.  90% of our customers were in D.C.  My options were to deal with the cherry blossom tourists or take the beltway around to 50 (I think, it has been a long time) and take that to the Roosevelt bridge which occupies it's own level of hell.  Fighting the tourists seemed like the lesser of the evils.

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5 hours ago, Parsnip Totin Jack said:

I don’t believe that they are going to try and save the trees. I may be wrong, but pulling, storing, and planting 300 trees is more expensive than cutting them down. One tree, nicknamed Stumpy, is on the chopping block.

Many of the trees are in really bad shape. Still pretty, but definitely fragile and leaning oddly now.  

What's worse is the path and trail system that is crumbling with the sea wall.  It needs a lot of work and consideration for how to avoid the flooding and erosion.  Is Hains Point on the agenda too? I haven't been there in a couple years, but it was in bad shape to along the sea wall.  

I wonder if the existing trees could be "donated" and/or moved to somewhere like the Arboretum. Maybe by the columns?

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7 minutes ago, Razors Edge said:

Many of the trees are in really bad shape. Still pretty, but definitely fragile and leaning oddly now.  

What's worse is the path and trail system that is crumbling with the sea wall.  It needs a lot of work and consideration for how to avoid the flooding and erosion.  Is Hains Point on the agenda too? I haven't been there in a couple years, but it was in bad shape to along the sea wall.  

I wonder if the existing trees could be "donated" and/or moved to somewhere like the Arboretum. Maybe by the columns?

Moving trees is probably three times the cost of cutting them down. They could recoup some of that by selling the trees after they’re cut. Wood workers would love to make things out of that wood. Start the new trees now. 

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6 hours ago, Parsnip Totin Jack said:

The National Park Service is going to begin work to repair a crumbling sea wall around DC’s tidal basin. The basin, located near the Jefferson and FDR memorials, was built in the late 1800’s to control flooding on the Potomac River. The Lincoln Memorial is built on land that was previously part of the river. Since the 1800’s the sea wall has settled as much as five feet. The Jefferson Memorial is also sinking but that’s another problem. The construction will take three years and require the removal of 300 trees including 140 cherry trees. Upon completion, they will plant 455 trees including 274 cherry trees. 

My mother loved the blossoming Japanese Cherry Trees and we would go to D.C. to see them some years.

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6 hours ago, Randomguy said:

Why?  I like cherries, but I have never seen a real cherry tree.  I have seen a lot of cherry blossoms, though.

Just another reason you should come visit. We can go pick cherries. 

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