11-20-14 highway 45 trees

A handful of residents who live along Highway 45 south of Fond du Lac are fighting to preserve dozens of old, majestic trees that face the ax as part of a highway reconstruction project.  Fuller McBride says the DOT plans to remove more than three dozen trees when the Highway 45 project between Fond du lac and Eden begins in 2018.  McBride says he doesn’t buy the DOT argument that the trees must go for safety reasons.  McBride says some of the trees including white oaks, hickory and maple trees  and other varieties of wild hardwoods are estimated between 100 and 150 years old.  McBride says the beauty of the ledge should be cherished, not diminished.  Steve Hiniker with the environmental group 1000 Friends of Wisconsin Says the DOT has to start using some common sense.  The DOT held a public meeting on July 9 to discuss improvements and the project schedule. No further meetings are scheduled.  The Department performs a Roadside Hazard Analysis (RHA) for projects to identify potential  hazards in the clear zone for any project — and hazards could include trees, said Project Manager Bryan Learst of the DOT Northeast Region.