Encino’s Lang Oak

Re “Storm’s Oldest Casualty,” Feb. 9: When an oak falls over, it is not necessarily dead or of no more value. I do consultant work and supervise tree conditions for Descanso Gardens and the historic Lanterman House. A fallen oak can many times be pruned for safety and health potential. It then can assume its duty of display for years to come, just as any important historical artifact, such as the Liberty Bell in Pennsylvania or the ship at the bottom of Pearl Harbor. It is not necessary for historical items to be perfect or new or, in this case, “vertical.”

I am not sending these words for judgment or controversy but for education. One would be hard pressed to find another coast live oak with the age or qualities of the Lang Oak. Children and adults would not be troubled or ashamed of the Lang Oak if it had been properly prepared for its new posture.

This oak probably did not die when it fell; it died when it was dismembered. Next time, if the public were aware of arboricultural facts and means, we might all benefit from historical shade of one of our oldest living citizens.

CRAIG R. STEWARD

La Canada Flintridge