Manteo – NCDOT Roadside Environmental
crews on Wednesday took an important first step to save a large historic live
oak tree on Roanoke Island which fell over and was critically damaged by severe
winter weather last month.
The live oak, along U.S. Highway 64 on the north end of Roanoke
Island between Manteo and Manns Harbor, was toppled on Jan. 4 by a devastating
combination of ice, snow and wind. It was one of dozens of trees severely
damaged by the storm. The trees were all planted in the 1980s to celebrate the
400th anniversary of the establishment of the Roanoke
Island Colony in 1587.
Working with Eastern Tree Service of Kill Devil Hills, NCDOT crews
righted the fallen tree on Wednesday. “It’s worth the effort to try and let this
one live,” said Roadside Environmental Engineer Patricia Mansfield. “It will
take years of TLC to make sure it survives, but we’re going to do everything we
can to save it.”
There has also been extensive pruning on several of the other
damaged trees, removing broken and twisted branches, and cutting back other
structural damage to allow the live oaks to recover.
One tree, which fell directly onto U.S. 64, was too damaged to
survive and was removed. It will be replaced by a live oak replanted from Manns
Harbor.
Contact: Tim Hass
Phone: 252.423.5109
Email: tdhass@ncdot.gov