Editor,

The application for removal of a Garry oak tree on Lot 37 of Rose Hill PRD located on Melrose Drive in Oak Harbor should be denied.

Garry oak trees are protected under Oak Harbor city ordinance. The fact that the developer didn’t know there was a Garry oak tree on the property indicates the developer didn’t do his due diligence. If he had, this area could have been left as the green space with no economic consequences.

Perhaps the property can be swapped with the previously planned green space. The tree shouldn’t be killed because of poor planning or ignorance.

The variance should not be granted because a reasonable alternative could have been found. This application does not meet the criteria for an exception.

This particular oak has some historical context. It grows on the northern edge of the original, pre-settler, oak forest. It is a remnant that shows the past range of this unique ecosystem in Oak Harbor.

Over 90 percent of the Garry Oak ecosystem that ranged from Northern California to Southern British Columbia has been destroyed.

This is a driving force behind the Oak Harbor City Ordinance protecting Garry oaks.

Kathy and Duncan Chalfant

Oak Harbor