Dead fir trees no match for crane

[et_pb_text admin_label="PJ Kezele byline; remember to tag post as various-contributors" saved_tabs="all" background_layout="light" text_orientation="left" header_font="Arimo||||" text_font="||on||" use_border_color="off" border_color="#ffffff" border_style="solid"]

PJ Kezele, KP News

Archon Tree Service workers removed dead fir trees from the Key Peninsula Civic Center property to avoid potential damage. Photo by PJ Kezele

Two dead fir trees at Key Peninsula Civic Center were no match for Archon Tree Service and their crane. Even so, wind stopped progress the first day, as workers contended with trees swaying as much as one foot.

“We came the first day and got part of one of the trees out before it became too windy at the top and we had to repel out and come back the next day, “ Brian Allen, owner of Archon, said.

Lakebay Fuschia Society was concerned about the impact of the tree removal on the gardens they maintain at the civic center. However, Allen said “The gardens were far enough away that they were not that big of deal, although workers did have to take care to throw the brush away from the garden.”

Using a crane, the crew lifted out the trees in nine 16- to 25-foot sections. According to the digital readout on the crane, the sections weighed 2,500 to 6,000 pounds, and the largest section was about 3 feet in diameter. Local Boy Scouts Troup No. 220 will process, dry and sell the wood, with the profits being split 50-50 with the civic center.

“By using the crane, there was minimal impact to the grounds,” Allen said. “Most companies have to piece it out. Using the crane is just a more efficient way to go in terms of safety, time and impact to surrounding vegetation.”