New for 2010, fewer trees!

Did anyone else notice a numerous amount of trees cut down throughout the park? I first noticed it on the Frontier Trail. Obviously there were several removed in the STR area, but that is to be expected. What I`m talking about is closer to the MF tunnel. Because the trees are used in the Starlight Experience, they weren`t completely chopped. Their trunks were left but all branches are gone. It appears as though they must have died. There were at least 10 that I saw. The next place I noticed was while exiting MF. There were a few stumps in the ground in the area behind Panda Express. There was another stump in the area between the CP&LE Funway station and the washrooms near Wildcat. And again while riding Cadillac Cars there were 3 more large stumps in the ground near the beginning of the ride. What gives with all the chopped trees? Is it normal and it happens every year but I`ve just never noticed or was the park plagued with some sort of tree killer? None of these were small trees, they were all very large stumps in the ground.

I heard that they were dead trees. I did not hear what the cause of death was, whether it was disease, insects, or mechanical issues (storm damage). Of course, if the limbs are dead, they have to come off or they'll fall on the midway as happened a few years ago at Lake Compounce. :(

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

You really notice it right by the wood carver's shop (Frontier Heart and Home). One large tree in particular was trimmed down to just the trunk, so a good part of the "ceiling" on that part of the Trail is now missing. As for the rest I assume it was that the trees had died. The ones on Frontier Trail are interesting because there are big trunks wrapped in lights but without any branches. Once a tree dies does its trunk stay more or less intact? Or will these trunks become a potential hazard as they decompose?

Yeah Tim that is where I initially noticed it, right by the woodcarver's shop. It's a huge opening above the trail with that/those tree(s) missing.

It could have been a combination of "sick" trees and the big storm we had a while back.

On opening day I first noticed the trees that were cropped at the top near the wood carver's shop. My wife figured it may have been storm damage from a week before. I later notice the others. The one stump on the Cadillac Cars was very hollow inside.

STR really put a gap in the canopy on the trail standing on the deck it's wide open now.

There's always a reason behind tree removal. Usually, it isn't to reduce charm. :)

What they should do is realize the money-making opportunity. Penn State is famous for its elm tree collection, but they've been battling two types of elm disease for some time. The trees that are removed are turned into furniture that is sold on the Penn State Elms Collection website, with proceeds going to tree replanting on campus.

I'm sure at least a few people here would buy furniture made from trees that formally graced the Cedar Point midway. :)

Could it be the Emerald Ash Borer?

http://www.agri.ohio.gov/eab/

@Captain Hawkeye, If the trees missing are Ash trees, then yes, that could be part of the problem. Most of the trees I noticed that were chopped were Oak.

On Paddlewheel, coming around the turn to go under Shoot the Rapids, I noticed an Oak had been taken down. The remaining stump was hollow and thats not a good sign.

Typically when a tree is dead, you take down the whole thing. The trunk is the most dangerous part of a dead tree to leave standing. Its much heavier than say some branches (which can still be dangerous as we know). I'm sure the parks landscaping department knows what they are doing if they left the trunks standing.

Without the wind-induced drag of branches & leaves, it's not likely that a stump would just fall over. As such, I'm not sure how the stump is the most dangerous part of the tree... unless your name is Sonny. ;)

A tree that is dying, dies from the inside, as I mentioned with the stump on Paddle Wheel Excursions. It hollows out as the wood begins to rot and the base of the trunk begins to weaken to where even a strong gust on the nicest of days can knock it over.

Its more dangerous because its heavier and larger than a single branch. If a single branch can kill one person when it falls, a larger heavier object has potential to hurt/kill multiple people.

When a tree falls on a house, the branches don't do much damage. Its the trunks that cause roofs to collapse.

How tall is the stump you're talking about? If it's taller than, say, a few feet, it's a good bet they've just not gotten around to removing the stump yet.

That said, I was simply taking exception to the statement. Yeah, in that VERY specific set of circumstances (tall, rotting tree stump next to where people walk), I see your point. It's just the way you said was very misleading, to me anyway.

DJ - it sounds like the ones on the trail have been stripped of all their branches, but have been left standing at their nearly full height because they are still covered in lights. If that's the case, they are probably in the 15-20 foot range.

I was referring specifically to the PWE tree, but I see your point. I would doubt, though, that CP would leave diseased 20' tall stumps standing. I mean, c'mon... the park doesn't switch TP brands without talking it over with lawyers first.

I agree, but then what's the point for stripping them back?

At Dj, the Paddlewheel stump was not what I was refrencing. That stump is level with the bank it sits on.

In the second paragraph, where I talked about something different, I was refrencing the tree on the Frontier Trail. "Stump" and "Trunk" are two very different things and not that hard to discern when spelled out for you.

Wow. Thanks for the condescending reply!

Well I'm sure the trees that were cut down, new ones were planted. I know that they have newer trees planted over by Shoot the Rapids. Walt do you know if Penn State plants trees for Cedar Point after they have already made money on selling furniture? I know this seems like a silly question, but just curious.

I could be mistaken, but I'm pretty sure the stumps I saw inside the Cadillac Cars area were not hollowed out from rot. Large trees like the ones mentioned in this thread are not easy to replace.

That's for sure. The FT sure is brighter now. :)