More Beautiful Oak Trees To Be Cut Down

7/10/08

State DOT Ready To Do "Hatchet Job" By Sid Riley
On a trip to Dothan have you ever taken State Highway #73 to connect to Highway 231? As you headed north on 73 have you ever enjoyed the peaceful, serene atmosphere the beautiful oak trees that line both sides of that roadway provided as they created a shaded canopy over you? Well, if you enjoyed that beauty and you want to again enjoy the experience, you had better go to Dothan soon.
The Jackson County Times has confirmed through DOT Public Relations representative Tommy Speights, that those trees will be severely "cut away" as the ditches on both sides of the roadway are re-landscaped. "Not all trees will be cut, but the roadway will definitely have a different look", Speights stated. "Currently, in some places the ditch is too near the roadway, creating an unsafe condition", he continued. "The work is scheduled to start in September."
I asked him if railings couldn’t be used to improve those areas, and other ditching remedies be found. He stated that the best solution was to cut the trees and landscape the new ditching.
So, if you want to preserve this piece of natural beauty in our county, it is time to contact State Senators, State Representatives, and anyone else you know. Otherwise, the powerful DOT bureaucracy will undoubtedly do as it wishes to our environment.