City Hall cuts 128 olmos on Lehendakari Agirre Avenue in Bilbao
- This week, Ekologistak Martxan received a number of complaints from citizens by the court of 128 omens on Lehendakari Agirre Avenue in the Deusto district. The environmental organization has reported that in recent months trees have been felled in other neighborhoods of Bilbao: Santutxu, Txurdinaga, Indautxu and Basurto. The City Council of Bilbao has argued "security reasons" for withdrawing the Deusto olms and has announced that it will replace 125 trident arces of Asian origin. Ekologistak Martxan questions the municipal arguments and asks that native species be planted.
The user @Biziosona denounced on December 26 the following situation on the street:
Agirre Lehendakaria Center for Basque Studies in Basque Society, the updation of the first action. Egoera txarrak, sustraiak batez ere, sure a bat motif obeys horrela.
— Bilbao [City Hall - City Hall] (@bilbao_udala) December 27, 2022
The City Council desists through its official account on the Twitter social network: “On Lehendakari Agirre Avenue, the trees are being replaced taking advantage of street reform works. They were in poor condition, especially roots, so it’s a reason for security.”
Debate on the suitability of substitutes: 125 trident arces
As explained in the information provided by the City Council of Bilbao on the project of integral renovation of Lehendakari Agirre Avenue, "128 olmos will be removed and 125 new specimens will be planted. The species selected for the new trees is the trident maple. It is a species of high aesthetic value, with less interference with the urban environment and with a maximum height of between 9 and 10 meters".
However, Ekologistak Martxan questioned that “all the trees on that street were sick” and added that “now it would be impossible to check this”, and that this logging “responds more to reform than to the health of the trees”.
Ekologistak Martxan pointed out that the approach of trident arces that wish to replace the olms is "improved": "The ideal is to put more trees than it was initially, betting on a wooded flood that provides freshness and shade in the context of climate change, thus recovering native species." Remember that the trident maple is of Asian origin and that in the streets of Bilbao there are numerous examples of native species: the tilo in the Gran Vía and Sabino Arana or the rural maple.
For this reason, the environmental organization has urged the City of Bilbao to “promote the planting of native species” and to establish “areas with a notable presence of trees, seeking the indigenous species that best suits the needs of each area” in the plans to renovate or renovate the streets.
User @amaiur has opened the photo of Avenida Zumalakarrangi de Santutxu, showing that trees have also been cut:
Avda. Zumalakarrangi. @bilbao_udala pic.twitter.com/IekynlamXc
— amaiur (@amaiur89242632) December 27, 2022
