Hope Grows in Effort to Save Historic Oak
The optimism of city workers grew as they planned to erect sun screens today around the poisoned Treaty Oak in their latest effort to save the historic tree.
City Forester John Giedraitis said Sunday that workers would install a dozen 65-foot-tall utility poles in a semicircle south of the 400-year-old oak and hang sun screens between the poles to reduce the glare of the summertime sun.
Giedraitis said Saturday he believes workers have removed virtually all of the herbicide Velpar from the base of the Treaty Oak and “are ahead of it now” in their efforts to save the tree.
Paul Stedman Cullen, 45, who is accused of deliberately poisoning the tree, remained in jail Sunday.
The tree has been an Austin landmark since the days of founder Stephen F. Austin, who, according to local accounts, once signed a treaty with local Indians under it.
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