A 19-foot spruce tree is making its way down to the governor's mansion in Jefferson City after being chopped down in a Fulton front yard.
John Watson and his wife Cynthia have been complaining about the tree for four years, which has made it difficult for the couple to pull safely out of their driveway as it decreases the visibility of cars on Ravine. The two decided this year it was time for the tree to fall.
"Even though it's a beautiful tree it's a hazard," Cynthia said.
However, the Watsons didn't want to see the tree go to waste and started reaching out to Fulton community members and relatives trying to find someone who could put the tree to use. Their son-in-law who works for the Missouri Department of Natural Resources relayed their message to the Missouri Department of Conservation, which receives an annual public announcement about finding a tree for the governor's mansion.
A crew of forestry technicians from MDC cut the tree down yesterday morning. A house and several power lines made it impossible for the tree to fall any other direction except one-downhill.
To make sure the tree fell directionally, the crew had to connect a pull strap to the tree and make precise cuts to the trunk to ensure it fell in the safest
place possible, MDC Resource Forester Kristen Goodrich said. After cutting the tree down, the crew measured and found it was a few feet taller than nec- essary, which meant they could get rid of some of the weight by losing pieces of the trunk before transport.
The tree will be taken to one of the MDC's warehouses for storage until delivery to the governor's mansion on Monday.