In an email to the editorial office, the woman wrote:
For a long time, I have been concerned about the situation in our city: the ruthlessness of municipal officials toward trees, and the successive trees disappearing or being disfigured. After all, such actions are harmful to us, the residents. Why does no one understand this? Obviously, urban greenery should be cared for; dry branches should be pruned and broken ones removed. Why, however, does no one among the decision-makers understand that trees are a priceless treasure, especially in an era of many years of drought and climate warming? Only a tree can give us shade and coolness in which we can rest from the heat; the ground in a tree’s shade does not heat up or dry out as much, whereas concrete and stone—as we know—release heat. […]
Not all of us travel in air-conditioned cars; there are still many people who get around on foot. In summer, there is no relief—for example, it is impossible to walk along Asnyka Street in hot weather, and the last trees that provided some shade have been cut down: two in front of the post office and two or three near the television station’s premises. Bushes and several trees were cut down in the green strip in front of the car park by Forum cinema. It has become gray and empty there. Some of the new plantings have failed to take root or have withered.
Now the trees in the square by Stokrotka have been disfigured; there will be no shade there this summer. A beautiful old willow by the Day Care Home was cut down—a true ornament to the area. A branch broke off the willow, but the sentence was passed on the entire tree, even though the trunk does not appear rotten. Planting young trees in place of those cut down does not solve the problem because, firstly, such a “stick,” if it takes root at all, will only reach the size of a mature tree after many, many years; and secondly, the progressing, long-term drought, resulting in falling groundwater levels, means that many of these new plantings fail to take root and wither because their roots do not reach as deeply as those of old trees.
And she appealed:
Let us treat old trees; let us not cut them down!!! Let us try to understand that this is for our own good. And let us start protesting against the current actions of officials who are stripping our city of its trees. Bolesławiec has always been considered a green city; visitors admired the number of squares and parks. Now the city is changing and becoming grayer.
I have also always wanted to ask whether the catalpas growing around the Market Square really need to be pruned every year. These trees appear to be a grafted variety, and therefore short, small trees with a beautiful umbrella-shaped form; only young plants require pruning to help shape a spherical crown.
Leave them alone so that they can provide us and tourists with some shade during the hot summer.
Agnieszka Gergont, press spokesperson for Bolesławiec City Hall:
Severe drought makes trees more susceptible to pests, weakens them and causes them to die. Trees that are diseased, infested by pests, dead, or posing a threat to people through broken branches or falling are removed. Felling is carried out each time on the basis of a decision by the Bolesławiec County Starost, following an application from residents or the Municipality of Bolesławiec. A commission appointed by the Bolesławiec County Starost assesses the health of the trees and issues the appropriate decisions.
And she adds:
As environmental compensation, new plantings are carried out. Last year, more than 100 trees were planted throughout the city.
And she emphasizes:
The trees in the Market Square are pruned in accordance with the requirements of the species and horticultural practice.
What do you think? How do you assess the City’s policy toward trees? We invite you to join the discussion.