The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) inspected the damaged crown of the Giant Sequoia today, located at Fourth Avenue and Olive/Stewart. During recent years the tree has been declining in health, and the top of the tree was lost in a 2006 wind storm. SDOT Urban Forestry has been working to save the tree.

This morning the Urban Forestry crew reached the top of the tree without damaging the crown by riding in a 125-foot tall telescopic boom provided free of charge by Hertz Equipment Rental.

The crew found the tree putting on a good amount of new growth. There are two new tops forming, both of which they left intact. In one or more years, SDOT Urban Forestry will return to select the stronger of the tops to take over as the leader of the tree by pruning out the other. The SDOT tree crew who managed the work site were Joe Markovich, Zeke Richardson and Mark Malone.

The tree has responded to a soil treatment conducted in June and now is improving in color and is showing new growth.

Urban Forestry will also work closely with the permitee of holiday lighting to ensure that the lighting practices do not damage the tree.

Urban Forestry will continue to monitor sequoia’s condition. They expect to take further steps to care for the tree in future years.

For more information: Shane.DeWald@seattle.gov

Media contact: Marybeth Turner, Marybeth.Turner@seattle.gov