Granite Shoals’ ode to oaks in July
A massive live oak near The Tropical Hideaway condominiums in Granite Shoals. Staff photo by Dakota Morrissiey
The city of Granite Shoals has dedicated the month of July to its large, majestic oak trees. The City Council approved a proclamation on June 25 declaring July 2024 Heritage Oak Tree Celebration Month. The decision followed several discussions on whether to mandate protections for the city’s oldest trees.
“We hope that people will be more aware of the historic value of these heritage oak trees,” Mayor Ron Munos told DailyTrib.com following a reading of the proclamation on Tuesday. “Some of these trees are hundreds of years old, and you can’t replace them overnight. We’re trying to encourage people to do the best they can to preserve them.”
The proclamation cites the value of large oak trees in the city on multiple levels, including economically through increasing property values, culturally for generational endurance, ecologically for habitat and soil erosion control, and aesthetically for natural beauty.
The council stopped short of defining a heritage oak tree, which would have to be included in an ordinance rather than a proclamation to have legal status. The city of Austin defines a heritage tree (not just oaks) as one with a 2-foot-diameter trunk when measured 4½ feet above ground.
Granite Shoals City Manager Sarah Novo suggested creating a heritage oak photo contest to spur interest in the month-long celebration, noting the city has an oak tree on its logo.
The proclamation asks residents, organizations, and business owners to celebrate the city’s large trees throughout July and take proactive measures to protect and preserve them year-round for future generations.
Mayor Munos first brought up protecting the city’s oldest trees in January after two large live oaks were cut down to make room for a new wastewater treatment plant outside his home in The Tropical Hideaway condominiums.
The council deliberated on the topic and addressed it again in April. City leaders ultimately decided that protecting the trees with an ordinance would be overstepping the property rights of residents, so a proclamation was suggested.
City staff drafted the heritage oak proclamation and submitted it for review to the Granite Shoals Planning and Zoning Commission. The commission reviewed the document during its regular meeting on June 18 and recommended the council approve it, which it did. The commission also suggested adding a definition of a heritage oak tree to the city’s code of ordinances, but that issue was not discussed at the Tuesday meeting.