COLUMN: New walkway and trees will replace trench, restore beauty
Yes, it’s a mess right now, but give it some time.
Students and staff returning to campus after a summer away may be dismayed at the disruption along one of our campus walkways. But many were equally dismayed at the black plume that drifted over campus during winter temperature inversions. Our coal-fired heating plant was one of the valley’s worst polluters.
In an effort to protect the fragile air quality of our mountain valley, Utah State University obtained legislative funding to construct a new $40 million heating plant. Our new plant will burn cleaner fuel and conserve heat and water. It will also allow us to shut down the antiquated 1920s plant.
The worn pipes that serviced the old plant leaked 30,000 gallons of treated water each day, resulting in pollution problems and ongoing damage to trees and shrubs. The old pipes also necessitated frequent and costly repair work and upheaval. New steam tunnels will replace the old steam lines along this walkway. Unfortunately, we could not construct the tunnels without disrupting some beautiful, older trees. Great effort was taken to minimize harm to the trees and to preserve the natural beauty of our campus.
Our university grounds are cared for by knowledgeable horticulturists and arborists. They have added biodiversity to our campus by introducing more than 40 species of trees during the past decade, and their work has been recognized with numerous landscaping awards. Like you, they value our green spaces and mature trees.
Route follows existing pipeline and provides fire protection
The new steam tunnel was routed along the existing pipeline to spare further disruption to the campus. The tunnel will provide a critical central-campus route for other utilities as well, including culinary water, power, communications and natural gas.
The tunnel project is also making our campus safer. Until now, our central campus, the most significant concentration of valuable real estate in Cache Valley, was inaccessible to fire trucks. Last year, an uncontrolled fire burned close to the south side of campus, and in 1983, a fire caused extensive damage to Old Main. Firefighters will have quick access to the Quad and surrounding areas, and the ability to bring in their equipment.
As many trees saved as possible
The USU Arboretum Committee, which includes natural resource and plant science faculty and experts, began meeting a year ago. Specialists looked at every tree to determine which trees could be saved, which could be relocated, which were already dying and which would not likely survive the stress of construction.
As many trees as possible were saved, including the oak and maples near the Old Barn, the bald cypress and beeches in front of the Agriculture Science Building and the scotch pines by the Geology Building. We have also carefully relocated numerous shrubs and 23 trees to other parts of campus, including 14 maple, two magnolia, one fir, one oak, three pear and two hackberry trees.
Due to loose, gravelly soil and disease, we did lose several trees we had hoped to save. Arboretum Committee members and facilities administrators are discussing specific mitigation measures that should be implemented as work concludes and as future construction projects are begun – to provide as much protection as possible for our campus landscape. The trees that were removed will be replaced with other trees to reduce the visual impact. The wood from the fallen trees was carefully preserved for a local artist at Urban Forest Wood Works, who is using it to create natural-looking, ornamental boxes for the Development Office.
We appreciate your patience
The tunnel will be completed sometime this fall and landscaping will be installed next spring. We plan to take this opportunity to recreate a beautiful forest walkway that will provide an attractive outdoor teaching laboratory for our students and faculty. We will add biodiversity and create a living arboretum in this part of campus. The walkway design will incorporate areas where students and faculty can gather for conversation, study or contemplation, and areas for outdoor sculptures.
We know trenches are not as easy on the eyes as trees. We appreciate your patience during construction activities and look forward to a cleaner plant, cleaner air and a walkway that will restore and enhance the beauty of our campus.