JEANERETTE — Tree hugger might not be a name ever associated with the state’s conservative governor, but Bobby Jindal has stepped in to save 13 oak trees in Jeanerette.
The 150- to 200-year-old oaks along an almost five-mile stretch of Louisiana 182 were scheduled to be cut down by the state Department of Transportation and Development, Secretary Sheri LeBas said.
“Governor Jindal asked us to preserve the trees because of their importance to the parish and the state,” LeBas said in a prepared statement. “DOTD is moving forward with the pavement preservation project on Louisiana 182 in St. Mary Parish to help restore the ride quality of the roadway.”
The state will trim the trees of low hanging branches to allow sugar cane trucks and farm equipment to pass more easily. Additional safety enhancements, such as “edgeline rumble striping, non-reflective raised pavement markings and enhanced signage” will be added to address safety concerns the DOTD determine the trees might have caused.
The trees originally were scheduled for removal after a DOTD detailed safety assessment found the 4.7-mile stretch the trees are adjacent to had an “over representation of crashes,” said Deidra Druilhet, spokeswoman for the DOTD’s Lafayette office.
Residents of the Jeanerette area were not pleased with the planned destruction of the trees and began a petition on a Facebook page and contacted officials about what could be done to save the trees.
Donovan Garcia, a volunteer for the Atchafalaya National Wildlife Refuge, said it came down to either the street or the trees. He said he always thought they could have both.
“It’s a different world than 25 years ago when I lost two big oak trees in Jeanerette because they blocked a sign,” he said.“This time we had a little more ammunition. When you get on Facebook and get a petition going around, people start talking to their congressmen, the news media picks it up and it really makes a difference.”
Garcia, 60, thanked all those who got involved, especially state Sen. Bret Allain, R-Franklin, and state Rep. Sam Jones, D-Franklin.
“It’s in my district not far from my home,” Allain said. “We (Jones and I) received several calls from constituents, including (former Gov. Mike) Foster, who were concerned about the trees. We started working with DOTD and the governor’s office and worked through alternatives to cutting down the trees.”
Allain said they argued that the trees are one of the main draws to the area, especially along Louisiana 182, which is classified as a scenic byway. He said he thought they made their argument loud and clear and the governor sided with them in the end.
Garcia said he thought the DOTD may have planned the whole thing from the beginning.
“Maybe they wanted to save the trees, but they needed the backing,” he wondered aloud. “Nobody wants to cut down a 200-300-year-old tree.”
