Tribes will use wood from hazardous cedar tree being removed from Capitol Campus

A dangerous cedar tree on the state Capitol Campus will be removed this week, and the wood will be put to good use.

On Friday, a private tree care company will remove the nearly 60-foot Western red cedar tree growing near the east side of the John A. Cherberg Building.

The tree, which is 80 to 100 years old, was damaged in a windstorm about a decade ago and is losing branches, according to a news release from the Department of Enterprise Services.

The Nisqually and Squaxin tribes will bless the cedar tree prior to its removal and use the wood for art.

“To the tribe, cedar trees, and all trees, are very important to our people,” said Charlene Krise, executive director for the Squaxin Island Museum Library Research Center.

“Part will be used for carving,” Krise said. “Carvers teach young people, so it’s helping keep the continuity of traditional teaching in place. It still will exist among the people here.”

In addition to the removal of the cedar tree, Arbor Care Tree Service will trim and prune hazardous limbs from several other campus trees, including two red oaks near the northwest corner of the Legislative Building, a big-leaf maple near the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, a cork elm near the press houses and a Norway maple near the World War II Memorial.

The company also will grind tree stumps at Marathon and Heritage parks and at the Old Capitol Building, which is occupied by the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, in downtown Olympia.

The work will begin about 8 a.m. and end by about 5 p.m. each day, beginning Tuesday (Jan. 5).

This story was originally published January 5, 2016 at 4:25 AM with the headline "Tribes will use wood from hazardous cedar tree being removed from Capitol Campus."