Crews in West Sacramento chopped down an 125-year-old butternut tree to make room for a “high-density” business, shopping and residential development, despite a resident’s bid to save the tree in Yolo County Superior Court.
In her July petition seeking to block the tree’s removal, Lana Paulhamus said the city “is responsible for assuring that our natural resources are not destroyed willy-nilly.” Arborists told the Sacramento Bee that the tree, with its 22-foot trunk, was “one of the largest in the region and perhaps the biggest butternut tree in the United States.” They reportedly said the tree was “in fair to good condition and would live 20 to 40 years more with moderate care.”
