Kerrville’s Founder’s Tree cut down. It was too damn big.

[Willfully Horn 7820]

Despite being healthy and iconic,  a charitable foundation chopped down the Founder’s Tree, in Kerrville, TX. The Cailloux Foundation has not commented, but a worker explained that it was “too big.”

Cailloux is trying to sell the property and word is there is interest from a hotel company.

Why they didn’t seek funds to move the tree isn’t explained.

Quote

Without warning, the Cailloux Foundation removed “The Founders Tree” on Saturday morning. The centuries-old oak tree dates before Kerrville’s founding in 1858 — and was there when Joshua Brown lived next to it.

When asked why the tree was being cut down, a worker said, “it’s too big.” There’s no explanation from the Cailloux Foundation.

The tree is between Herring Printing and the A.C. Schreiner Mansion on Water Street.

I’m almost ill this has happened,” said Kerrville City Councilmember Joe Herring Jr., who also writes extensively about Kerr County history. “A living part of our community’s history was killed today.”

The property has been for sale for some time, and at least one hotel developer has looked at adjacent properties to site a new hotel. A source told The Lead that the property is under contract. One development group said it was not involved, but The Lead learned there’s a second hotel developer working to acquire the property. 

However, the removal of the oak tree will come as a shock to many in the community. The reaction on social media was swift.

“Im sick to my stomach,” Kerrville City Councilmember Brenda Hughes said.

https://kerrcountylead.com/in-a-shock-kerrvilles-centuries-old-founders-tree-is-cut-down/

[futureman 22324]

[atomheartbevo 88750]

13 minutes ago, Willfully Horn said:

The Cailloux Foundation has not commented, but a worker explained that it was “too big.”

Of course that little shit would think it's "too big"

[Serak The Preparer 3408]

Negged for making me think of that little shit.

[tx 3 putt 74769]

bbq wood ?

[UpperWestside 5990]

Human beings are just the worst. 

[Dewey 3266]

Always thought the rule was cut as many cedars as you like, don't fucking touch the live oaks. 

 

[Brisketexan 103147]

Nevermind the callous asininity of this....what a stupid fucking financial decision.  WHATEVER you want to use that property for, an oak of that age and size adds a SHITLOAD of dollar value to your property.  "With historical mature oak" is an automatic price markup phrase.

We are not a smart species.

[Braff Zacklin 13284]

It is a sin to cut down a tree like that.

Shameful.

[Deej 76081]

If you're gonna cut down a tree like that, at least make sure Greg Abbott is underneath it first. 

['stache 21490]

Humans are the worst thing to ever happen to this planet. 

[crash_davis 23038]

LOL. Cut down an over 160 year old tree because it is an inconvenience. The fuck is wrong with people.

[SquishMitten 10368]

First, I thought that was illegal. Second, they made the property less valuable… Unless the hotel sale was conditioned on first removing the tree (which would make sense, because any new business wouldn’t want the negative backlash it would get by cutting it down themselves. But most importantly, aren’t there ways to move trees like that? With how much it’s worth, I woulda thought somebody would be happy to do it for free, or at least relatively cheaply. Those people suck.

[Chooky 13277]

Here are the wizards comprising this brilliant decision. 

[Wiler77 1539]

46 minutes ago, crash_davis said:

LOL. Cut down an over 160 year old tree because it is an inconvenience. The fuck is wrong with people.

Who said inconvenience?  It's was "too big".  WTF does that even mean?

 

[Hefeweizen 5210]

Not illegal as they have no tree ordinance.  But that is a stupid and immoral thing to do to a healthy tree.

 

Funny story, I one had a project in BFE that had a 8 ft diameter live oak on it.  From the start I told the client if they wanted to remove it I was out of the project altogether. 

[cactusflinthead 26791]

Don't y'all know tree ordinances are an assault on our freedoms?!

But HB 7, unlike SB 744, says municipalities can't charge homeowners fees for removing trees that are under 10 inches in diameter. It also more specifically stipulates who can offset fees, and by how much: homeowners can entirely eliminate fees by planting new trees, while residential developers can offset 50 percent of fees and owners of commercial properties can offset them by at least 40 percent.

Abbott — who himself ran into tree trouble several years ago when the city of Austin asked him to replant trees on his property — has railed against city tree ordinances as a "socialistic" evidence of local government overreach. Regulation of tree removal was one on a slate of local control issues Abbott put on the agenda for the special session that ended on Tuesday.

https://www.texastribune.org/2017/08/16/abbott-signs-bill-regulating-tree-removal/

[Bevo 13417]

I hate people

[crash_davis 23038]

That is a beautiful oak tree. Any developer worth a shit would feature that oak tree in it's landscaping and building design. What a fucking waste.

3 minutes ago, cactusflinthead said:

Don't y'all know tree ordinances are an assault on our freedoms?!

But HB 7, unlike SB 744, says municipalities can't charge homeowners fees for removing trees that are under 10 inches in diameter. It also more specifically stipulates who can offset fees, and by how much: homeowners can entirely eliminate fees by planting new trees, while residential developers can offset 50 percent of fees and owners of commercial properties can offset them by at least 40 percent.

Abbott — who himself ran into tree trouble several years ago when the city of Austin asked him to replant trees on his property — has railed against city tree ordinances as a "socialistic" evidence of local government overreach. Regulation of tree removal was one on a slate of local control issues Abbott put on the agenda for the special session that ended on Tuesday.

https://www.texastribune.org/2017/08/16/abbott-signs-bill-regulating-tree-removal/

fuck hotwheels. 

[hayden_horn 11311]

21 minutes ago, Chooky said:

Here are the wizards comprising this brilliant decision. 

to be fair, that guy on the right has actually worked very hard to reach level 48 wizard necromancer, so, you know, uh, just, um, steer clear of him at dinner parties?

[hayden_horn 11311]

ok, jokes aside, this is fucking tragic. how on earth could this have happened? the fucking founder's tree in kerrville? how is that not somehow a protected tree?

[crash_davis 23038]

Just now, hayden_horn said:

ok, jokes aside, this is fucking tragic. how on earth could this have happened? the fucking founder's tree in kerrville? how is that not somehow a protected tree?

Probably cause everyone thought only a fucking idiot would cut down that tree. And yet here we are. 

[HenryJames 64901]

30 minutes ago, Chooky said:

Here are the wizards comprising this brilliant decision. 

1,2,x,x,x

[Deej 76081]

If they had renamed it the "Johnny Manziel Tree", the people of Kerrville would have rallied to protect it. 

[Grade of D as in David 13253]

23 minutes ago, cactusflinthead said:

Don't y'all know tree ordinances are an assault on our freedoms?!

But HB 7, unlike SB 744, says municipalities can't charge homeowners fees for removing trees that are under 10 inches in diameter. It also more specifically stipulates who can offset fees, and by how much: homeowners can entirely eliminate fees by planting new trees, while residential developers can offset 50 percent of fees and owners of commercial properties can offset them by at least 40 percent.

Abbott — who himself ran into tree trouble several years ago when the city of Austin asked him to replant trees on his property — has railed against city tree ordinances as a "socialistic" evidence of local government overreach. Regulation of tree removal was one on a slate of local control issues Abbott put on the agenda for the special session that ended on Tuesday.

https://www.texastribune.org/2017/08/16/abbott-signs-bill-regulating-tree-removal/

Of course Greg is anti tree

[hayden_horn 11311]

2 minutes ago, Deej said:

If they had renamed it the "Johnny Manziel Tree", the people of Kerrville would have rallied to protect it. 

https://kerrcountylead.com/editorial-a-vile-smear-on-kerrvilles-history-beauty-in-destruction-of-founders-tree/

lo fucking l

Quote

When the KISD Board of Trustees rejected an idea to place a statue of Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Johnny Manziel, who prepped at Tivy High School, the Cailloux Foundation agreed to put the statue at Peterson Plaza, which it owns. Certainly, private property rights are important, but how about trying to be good stewards?

 

[Braff Zacklin 13284]

Growing up, my dad's land had a giant live oak near a spring-fed creek that an arborist estimated was pre-Columbian. Three people could hug it without overlapping, and our cattle would rest under it for shade. I imagine that Kerrville oak was even older.

During junior high, Pop gave permission to build a treehouse in its boughs, so long as I didn't drive any nails into the tree or otherwise harm it. He once wished to be buried underneath it.

SH 130 and eminent domain forced my dad to sell the property in 2008, and though the structures have been demolished and the 52 acres on which they sat have been bisected by a toll road and its frontages, the highway department at least had the good sense to leave the tree be.

Here are some pics of me visiting it one last time, in January 2008, before my parents sold and moved to Johnson City.

The three main boughs would make large trees.

I guess this outs me as a treehugger.

The lone board was all that remained of the treehouse.

I'm up there. Can you find me?

[Judge Roybeanbag 11728]

2 minutes ago, Braff Zacklin said:

Growing up, my dad's land had a giant live oak near a spring-fed creek that an arborist estimated was pre-Columbian. Three people could hug it without overlapping, and our cattle would rest under it for shade. I imagine that Kerrville oak was even older.

During junior high, Pop gave permission to build a treehouse in its boughs, so long as I didn't drive any nails into the tree or otherwise harm it. He once wished to be buried underneath it.

SH 130 and eminent domain forced my dad to sell the property in 2008, and though the structures have been demolished and the 52 acres on which they sat have been bisected by a toll road and its frontages, the highway department at least had the good sense to leave the tree be.

Here are some pics of me visiting it one last time, in January 2008, before my parents sold and moved to Johnson City.

The three main boughs would make large trees.

I guess this outs me as a treehugger.

The lone board was all that remained of the treehouse.

I'm up there. Can you find me?

Those are some fantastic resume photos!

[royiv 9043]

The tree company who agreed to take that job should never work again in Texas. Surly detectives need to figure this one out.

[Chooky 13277]

38 minutes ago, HenryJames said:

1,2,x,x,x

[hayden_horn 11311]

22 minutes ago, Chooky said:

edit: jesus christ i remember that being much, much funnier

[freyguy 4237]

1 hour ago, Braff Zacklin said:

Growing up, my dad's land had a giant live oak near a spring-fed creek that an arborist estimated was pre-Columbian. Three people could hug it without overlapping, and our cattle would rest under it for shade. I imagine that Kerrville oak was even older.

During junior high, Pop gave permission to build a treehouse in its boughs, so long as I didn't drive any nails into the tree or otherwise harm it. He once wished to be buried underneath it.

SH 130 and eminent domain forced my dad to sell the property in 2008, and though the structures have been demolished and the 52 acres on which they sat have been bisected by a toll road and its frontages, the highway department at least had the good sense to leave the tree be.

Here are some pics of me visiting it one last time, in January 2008, before my parents sold and moved to Johnson City.

The three main boughs would make large trees.

I guess this outs me as a treehugger.

The lone board was all that remained of the treehouse.

I'm up there. Can you find me?

Isnt he just precious...

[Deej 76081]

40 minutes ago, royiv said:

The tree company who agreed to take that job should never work again in Texas. Surly detectives need to figure this one out.

You just know it's owned by an aggy. 

[Biff Tannen 44919]

2 hours ago, Wiler77 said:

Who said inconvenience?  It's was "too big".  WTF does that even mean?

 

No too high.  Too hard.

['stache 21490]

1 hour ago, Grade of D as in David said:

Of course Greg is anti tree

"Abbott — who himself ran into tree trouble several years ago . . ."

 

Yeah, I thought that was gonna go a different direction, lol.

Edited August 10, 2023 by 'stache

[Wilcox Cummingtonite 2714]

This is some bullshit. A travesty. Fuck humans.
 

Those old oaks should never be fucking cut down. Fucking Kerrville.

[HOOKEM4 4870]

8 hours ago, crash_davis said:

That is a beautiful oak tree. Any developer worth a shit would feature that oak tree in it's landscaping and building design. What a fucking waste.

fuck hotwheels. 

I have dealt with the worst developers and even they would covet that tree. I don't get it. Is this some sort of own the libs deal? 

Edited August 11, 2023 by HOOKEM4
ousux

[Hermanator 6562]

9 hours ago, crash_davis said:

Probably cause everyone thought only a fucking idiot would cut down that tree. And yet here we are. 

And no one thought a president would commit treason. No one thought a president and his party would attempt to overthrow democracy in America. 

Time to make very explicit laws and punishments clear against everything no one thinks anyone would actually do. 

Edited August 11, 2023 by Hermanator

[fattyflattie 4631]

1 minute ago, Hermanator said:

And no one thought a president would commit treason. No one thought a president and his political party would attempt to overthrow democracy in America. 

Time to make very explicit laws and punishments clear against everything no one things anyone would actually do. 

There’s a place for these hot takes.  Tree thread doesn’t have a fucking thing to do with that, though. 

[Hermanator 6562]

6 minutes ago, fattyflattie said:

There’s a place for these hot takes.  Tree thread doesn’t have a fucking thing to do with that, though. 

It sure does you traitor cunt

 

Expectations of civility in American society can no longer be taken for granted and must be expressly demanded. This tree situation is a perfect example of this. 

[fattyflattie 4631]

2 minutes ago, Hermanator said:

It sure does you traitor cunt

 

Expectations of civility in American society can no longer be taken for granted and must be expressly demanded. This tree situation is a perfect example of this. 

No, just don’t need your whiny pussy shit all over a decent board. Go fuck yourself back to yours and cry with your peeps.  Maybe tie some more completely nonpolitical topics to your bruised wittle heart.  

[Genco 3026]

Should've designated it a confederate memorial.

[fattyflattie 4631]

13 minutes ago, Genco said:

Should've designated it a confederate memorial.

They should have just left it the fuck alone. Idiots. 

[closetohumping 17258]

Take that tree huggers

[conVINCEd 21468]

12 hours ago, fattyflattie said:

No, just don’t need your whiny pussy shit all over a decent board. Go fuck yourself back to yours and cry with your peeps.  Maybe tie some more completely nonpolitical topics to your bruised wittle heart.  

LOL. No safe space for your little fascist ass anymore.  Go burn some books.  Kill some immigrants.  Rewrite history books.  Make it a crime to be something other than a white Protestant heterosexual male.  Be anti-science.  Make women second class citizens.  Try to turn the US into a theocracy.    Have you tried to overthrow the government lately?  No, well you are not doing your part to MAGA.  The world would be a better place if you took <redacted>

Edited August 11, 2023 by immamac
vacation

[Fudge Nuggets 18825]

17 hours ago, hayden_horn said:

ok, jokes aside, this is fucking tragic. how on earth could this have happened? the fucking founder's tree in kerrville? how is that not somehow a protected tree?

Trees don't vote, socialist libtard marxist commie puke.

[troph 23963]

Honestly 3 years in prison for cutting that down seems appropriate. What in the actual fuck? We don’t get to consume the Earth without the Earth saying FAFO to us. Same goes for clear cutting land. I’m so fucking tired of our callousness. We are not above nature, we are a part of it. Time we started fucking acting like it again. 

[fattyflattie 4631]

2 hours ago, conVINCEd said:

LOL. No safe space for your little fascist ass anymore.  Go burn some books.  Kill some immigrants.  Rewrite history books.  Make it a crime to be something other than a white Protestant heterosexual male.  Be anti-science.  Make women second class citizens.  Try to turn the US into a theocracy.    Have you tried to overthrow the government lately?  No, well you are not doing your part to MAGA.  The world would be a better place if you took one of your precious guns, stuck it in your mouth and pulled the trigger.

Fuck off.
 - A tree got cut down in Central Tx  

- But my pussy still hurts because Orange man bad.  I want to cry. Can I cry here about the tree in Kerville? 
 

You wish I’d kill myself?  Maybe you should touch some grass.  Have some perspective. Bleeding cunt you are. 

[ztejas 42744]

9 hours ago, Hermanator said:

It sure does you traitor cunt

 

Expectations of civility in American society can no longer be taken for granted and must be expressly demanded. This tree situation is a perfect example of this. 

Some of us don't want to talk about Trump on every thread on the website. Especially a thread that isn't even tangentially related. How long before y'all start bringing it up on the football board and calling people snowflakes there because they don't want to discuss politics in the middle of an LSU game? 

[HouTex 1838]

I love big old trees, especially old live oaks.  Shame it was cut down.  That said, apparently no laws were broken.  If they had been broken, it's a completely different situation.  This isn't the Treaty Oak or the Auburn tree case.  Those bastards got what they deserved.  This tree was on private property and the owner was within his/its rights to cut it down--even if it may have been a stupid thing to do financially.  And as others have said, let's not make everything about politics.  Please take it to CR.