FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 24, 2024
Judge Orders Stay of Axing of Historic Davis Meeker Garry Oak by City of Tumwater
OLYMPIA--On Friday Judge Sharonda Amamilo of Thurston County Superior Court issued a temporary restraining order preventing City of Tumwater from the destruction of a 400-year-old Garry oak that is a protected species and is listed in the Tumwater Register of Historic Places.
An attorney for the group Save the Davis Meeker Garry Oak obtained the order to prevent a needless and improperly applied use of city power to destroy the historic tree.
“Tumwater’s mayor spearheaded the misuse of a city code designed to protect historic structures and essentially turned the code on its head to claim it allows the cutting down of this historic tree without a permit,” said attorney Ronda Larson Kramer. “The city has now filed a motion to vacate the judge’s protection, ignoring the wishes of the citizens and the earlier decision by their own Historic Preservation Commission to retain the tree.”
On Saturday, May 25 at 4:00 p.m. the public is invited to the tree for a celebration to pay tribute to this 400-year tree and to honor its place in history as an important route marker along the historic Cowlitz Trail. It is located near the intersection of Capitol Boulevard SE and Almar Lane SE in Tumwater. There will be music, information, food and a community rally to save this important living part of Northwest history. People are invited to bring their instruments and food to share.
The tree’s historical name reflects its status as a landmark on the Cowlitz section of the Oregon Trail. The Cowlitz Trail was a north-south trail used for millennia by tribal nations. Later, the tree was a landmark used by white settlers heading to what is now Washington. The Garry or white oak is a state-protected species, and the Davis Meeker tree was listed on the Tumwater Register of Historic Places in 1995. It is the only living thing on the register as the rest of the listings are area historic buildings.
“This tree is still a landmark today, reminding us of our many cultural roots and of those who have passed this way for thousands of years,” said Michelle Peterson, group spokesperson. “At 400 years old, it is a middle-aged tree and we intend to protect it for the generations who follow us.”
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