Two hazardous trees to be removed in Dec.
Large oaks located near Hamilton College, Osborne Building coming down
Posted on: December 16, 2020; Updated on: December 16, 2020
By Koby Padgett, kpadgett@sc.edu, 803-576-6701
Two trees located near Pendleton St. have been deemed hazardous and will be removed from campus during the upcoming winter break under the supervision of Facility Services.
The first to come down will be the large oak at the entrance to the Osborne parking lot off Pendleton St. Assistant Director of Facility Operations Tom Knowles said that rot and decay has made it into the main trunk after it has been pruned several times over the past decade.
Also set to come down is the tree near the entrance to Hamilton College. This oak has seen its top dying back, with large branches falling during the last year. Extensive decay has been found in the main trunk, Knowles said, and boring insects are weakening the tree further.
“We do not take decisions like this lightly,” commented Knowles. “We have certified arborists on staff that have all evaluated the trees on different levels. Additionally, we have had private certified arborists evaluate the trees and they concur that there are hazards present in both trees.
Knowles continued, “Because our campus is adorned with large mature trees, it makes it so very beautiful, and people become attached, as do much of our staff. We understand that there may be some questions and pushback to removing mature trees. But the safety of our students, faculty and staff is paramount in these decisions, and it is what drives us to these decisions.”
The tree sites will be evaluated for new plantings in the coming months.
The University of South Carolina has been recognized numerous times by the Arbor Day Foundation with its Tree Campus USA award.
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