A friend and client of mine called tonight to ask for my support in her efforts to save a 100-year-old American sycamore tree in the Heights, she was told is slated to be chopped down by a local builder. I like her approach: she's started a petition on Change.org and is asking for help in convincing the builder not to chop the tree, rather than asking for any other authority's intervention. Chances are no such authority has jurisdiction anyway. At any rate, this huge tree is priceless and I can't imagine why the builder wants to remove it but it's his property and it seems that the tree is on it, not in the city right-of way. The tree, located at 2228 Oxford, is listed on a protected list with the county but since this all came to light on Friday none of us are quite sure what that means and Jessica plans to research more on Monday when offices are open.

We've had success in saving trees in the Heights in the past but it wasn't easy and it wasn't pretty for the builder involved. I'm hoping Jessica's approach will be successful.  Remember the trees with herons in the Heights a few years back? That builder finally agreed to assign his right to purchase the property to the Houston Heights Association so it could be deed restricted against building any structure that would damage the trees that were home to herons. It turned out to be a win-win for the seller and the community.

As you can see in the petition linked below, this tree is 149 inches in circumference so if the county doesn't protect it, the city of Houston's tree ordinance may help to convince the builder to save the tree due to the requirements they enforce to replace trees that are felled to make way for construction.

The tree is listed in the Harris County Tree Registry, page 39: