The Washington County Conservation Board recently removed the last of its large elm trees at Marr Park. The tree was the last of only three that had survived Dutch Elm Disease, which came through the county decades ago. The other two died in the last five years, and the final one died and was removed last week. The Marr Park staff stopped traffic in the area, and carefully planned the fall of the tree.

Conservation Director Steve Anderson said they successfully got the tree to fall where it would do the least amount of damage, and there was no harm done to the nearby shelter, playground, and remaining live trees. The tree was then broken into smaller pieces and taken to another area to be processed into firewood. The park is still home to many smaller, younger elm trees, and Anderson hopes the Conservation Board’s efforts to maintain diverse stands of timbers will increase the likelihood all the forests they manage will survive.