WAILUA — A large rubber tree in the Wailua Houselots Park became a casualty of vandalism and the brisk tradewinds over the weekend. Workers from the county’s Department of Parks and Recreation were on hand Monday cutting down the remaining
WAILUA — A large rubber tree in the Wailua Houselots Park became a casualty of vandalism and the brisk tradewinds over the weekend.
Workers from the county’s Department of Parks and Recreation were on hand Monday cutting down the remaining bough from the central trunk and trimming back the tree so it could be transported away from the popular park.
County officials said the tree will be ground up and brought to one of the county’s green waste facilities for recycling.
A stump grinder will also be used to remove the trunk to prevent it from becoming a tripping hazard, states a release.
The tree cutting and removal process may take a few days, but the tripping hazard could exist for a week or more due to the extensive root system of the tree.
One of the workers said the damage probably came from the burn located inside the central trunk, weakening the branching limbs to the extent the brisk tradewinds over the weekend could topple them.
County officials state the center of the rubber tree, estimated at 40-plus years, was burnt over a period of time, weakening the tree and causing two of the three major limbs to break and fall over the weekend.
The tree was approximately 30 to 35 feet tall with a spread of 50 to 60 feet, according to the release.
Park caretakers suspect the most recent burn took place during the July Fourth holiday when smoke from the fireworks masked the burn.
The park caretaker discovered one branch on the ground Saturday morning and the other on Sunday morning.
He roped off the area, placing cautionary tape around the tree and reported the incident to his supervisor Monday morning.
Although one bough remained intact following the incident, that limb was also taken down during the Monday cleanup.
“We don’t want the kids to be playing around this area and the branch comes down,” a county parks worker said.
“It’s best the whole tree be removed.”
The county is asking anyone with information about the vandalism of the tree to call Kaua‘i Police Department Dispatch at 241-1711 or Crime Stoppers at 241-1887.
