(haipo) - Recently, we have witnessed massive destruction and felling of trees in Haifa, many of them very old. As I remember, the mayor promised many times to preserve the unique green urban space of the city and the trees in it, alongside the development of the city, but it seems that in practice, this is not happening.
As we know, beyond the aesthetic value of the trees in the urban space, the trees also help reduce air pollution significantly. They absorb carbon dioxide and thus reduce its concentration in the air, and also emit oxygen that enriches the air. The trees absorb pollutants such as soot, dust and other toxins and are used as a filter to protect the lungs in humans and animals.
The trees provide shade that is of a better quality than shade that is produced artificially with the help of sheds and grills and have a decisive significance in lowering the temperature in the environment. If so, why precisely in Haifa, the city that suffers so distinctly from massive air pollution, are the trees vandalized and cut down in a way that sometimes seems uncontrolled?
Does anyone follow the cutting down of trees in Haifa as construction takes place in the city, or when new roads are paved or new neighborhoods are established? Is someone keeping a close eye on what's going on and protecting the green we still have left in the city?
And beyond that, as mentioned, there is a phenomenon that we have been encountering lately, in which residents deliberately cause severe damage to trees, in order to leave them with no choice but to cut them down.
Intentional damage to trees
Only recently we published in Hai Pa about very old trees that were severely damaged, apparently by a resident who was disturbed by the trees for some reason, and after they were damaged, the municipality had no choice but to cut them down. (see the article in the link):
Another case, just from the last few days, in which someone injured a very old cypress on the beautiful Avenue of Trees on HaGalil Street in Neve Shanan. The tree, which is about 100 years old, was vandalized in what appears to be a deliberate act intended to cause its slow and cruel death and its cutting down. Shouldn't an investigation be held to find out who is responsible for committing this crime and to punish them?
Is it possible that the hand is light on the trigger when it comes to cutting down and damaging trees in the city? Can we be calm when building plans are approved and there is someone who is on guard regarding their preservation?
The old cypress was damaged
A resident of the Neve neighborhood who was shocked by the sight of the vandalized tree, told Lahi Fe:
"Since my childhood in the neighborhood, I remember the avenue of cypress trees on HaGalil Street. Neve Shaanan is lined with sidewalks with old trees planted by the neighborhood's captains. The old Neve Shaanan has been slowly changing in recent years, but if everyone whose tree obstructs their entrance to the parking lot or the view from their balcony does justice to themselves, no There will be a memory of the peaceful oasis of yesteryear, and the unique urban nature of Haifa. It is simply pure evil to vandalize an ancient tree like this for personal gain or for one or another private purpose. We need to investigate who disturbed this tree, which is about 100 years old, and prosecute him."
122 trees will be cut down!
If the sad story of the tree in Neve Shanan isn't enough, in the Neot Peres neighborhood they plan to cut down 122 trees (!), where road development work for the new part of the neighborhood is supposed to be carried out. Residents who value nature and greenery sent a letter of objection.
Moti Blitzblau, a member of the City Council from the Greens, who is aware of the issue, said to Lahi Fe:
"Cutting down trees in Haifa is, unfortunately, a daily occurrence, and the volumes reach hundreds, if not thousands of trees. The fact that Haifa is surrounded by a Mediterranean grove, when the Carmel Park covered the entire Carmel Ridge and over the years and the expansion of construction, they began to cut down trees, to make room for residential buildings If in the past they took care to preserve trees in the lot, then in recent years, due to the TMA 38 plan, building clearance which means further expansion of construction, houses occupy a larger area and the hand on the cutting ax is lighter. It is true that when plans are published for building permits, they worry about hearing reservations, but when trying to study the plans, it is found that various data are always missing, each time a different data. One of the data that is difficult to "discover" on a regular basis is a tree survey that is required in every plan, for every lot - a survey that indicates trees for felling, preservation, or copying".
Tree survey - Morot Lincoln neighborhood in Haifa - for your reference
Blitzblau also says: "In large plans for the construction of hundreds of apartments and high-rise buildings, a tree survey is a recipe for discovering many fellings. For example, a second construction plan in Naot Peres, only after much effort was the tree survey discovered (after much involvement on our part and on the part of other parties), and in the survey it was discovered that Out of more than 400 trees, over 120 are intended for felling, when it turns out that close to 100 are trees that have dried out, also because they have already been moved from another place. A very basic question arises: why did they hide the survey (of course they will say that it was not and was not created, what Suddenly, the survey was published on the municipality's website...).
After a curious person from the settlement insisted, he found out that the decision could be appealed, but there were only a few days left to do so. The survey was discovered after the deadline for filing an appeal. Keeping trees in the urban area is a good way to reduce the warming of the urban settlement, the trees produce shade, one that cannot be obtained in other ways, and of course, reduce greenhouse gases.
In Haifa, unfortunately, we find in almost every new construction project the cutting of trees, and also a new patent - planting on the roofs of underground parking lots, which has been proven to be an effective method, since there is not enough soil depth for the roots to develop. There is an urgent need to change the policy of the light hand for cutting down trees," Blitzblau concludes.
Hila Lauper, Member of the Ai CouncilR, who had already raised a question on the subject, gave Hai Fa in response: "A mayor was elected who announced that she would know how to preserve the greenery of Haifa, but it seems that during her shift the situation is much worse. Trees are cut down in huge quantities, it seems that everyone does as they please and there is no one in this city who looks after the trees! Trees are being poisoned, harming them in such a way All they have left is to die, so that there will be a reason to cut them down. This is a crime against nature and a crime against the people who have to fight to save the trees, because the simple fact is that if there are no trees - there is no life! The damage will be irreversible, and like other areas in which the mayor has failed and does not know What are we going to do about the environment, even in the field of logging there is no governance and no guarding. My friends and I from the Green faction are doing everything we can to stop the unnecessary logging and this is not an easy task."
Haifa Municipality takes care of the trees in Haifa. Have a good week. Thank you for the article so that the municipality, through the City Improvement Department, will take care of the trees mentioned in your article, Samar.
An impressive pine tree was also cut down behind our building which did not disturb anyone. Some time ago they cut it in half and he insisted on surviving to grow new branches. A few days ago, a phone call came from the municipality and they cut it down completely. I was asked why cut down a live tree when not far from it there is a dead tree that tends to fall, so they said it was instructions they received from the municipality and the municipal hotline did not know how to answer. This is a tree that was in the yard between Herzog Street and Michael Street
It's shocking that there is no law and justice, it is not possible that the municipality is handing out reports on ridiculous things and on something as important as trees are in a coma, we need to put an end to this ugly phenomenon, otherwise we will suffer!!!!!!
About two years ago hundreds of years old trees were cut down at our place on Hillel Street. I contacted the Haifa Municipality. This was done by our housing committee in the neighborhood. One of the neighbors complained that it was bothering him. Then the housing committee funds us, the tenants, who pay. They just brought in an excavator who cut down trees without any permits. And the Haifa Municipality did nothing. nothing and nothing…
If it weren't for the Green faction, I don't know who in the municipality is interested and cares about protecting the many trees that are destined for felling. It was a sick evil in the days of Yahav, but the city engineer who is supposed to be responsible for the preservation of the green lungs and trees, is the same engineer, except that now the light hand on felling permits has become much more open and in the days of Klish this trend has only worsened! This too will be another terrible legacy for the development of the next mayor!
No one takes care of the trees. Certainly not the municipality. to meet, they encourage construction and felling of ancient trees. There is no shade on the streets, there are no trees near the new buildings. Only concrete.
Cutting down trees in the city of Haifa is also done under the auspices of the municipality. Several years ago, when Yahav was still mayor, they decided to renovate the center of Carmel. In front of the house where I live, 119-121 Hanasi Ave., there were 3 decades-old trees that the municipality cut down despite opposition from the house committee that tried to save the trees. After it was cut down, the municipality claimed that the trees were diseased. I am a biologist by profession and can testify that the three trees were perfectly healthy. Go prove it after the trees were cut down and immediately sawn into pieces and disappeared from the area.
Well done to you Hila Lauper. Have a good week to you too, Haifa City Council members.
It is very clear who vandalized the tree on HaGil Street...
Just to see which health fund it interferes with parking.
Appealing to the municipality was defined as "a matter for trees and stones". Soon we will be able to talk only to stones... Private people are destroying gardens in favor of parking or building additions and along the way a 100-year-old tree says hello. And this is not to mention the contractors massively removing trees in favor of building residential neighborhoods. What a shame, how sad.
Obviously, there is no response from the municipality
Hello, is there anyone there at all?!
A response that is not visible to the website owners, write: "The response exists"...then publish only for yourself and not for the public
What do they guard in Haifa?
In the last four days there is some Oedipal quarrel between two clans of baboons and in the meantime 4 people have been shot and killed,
also, for over two years now, the municipality has been collecting the highest property taxes in the country from us, but in general, they are striking in a "garbage not removed" style, "Zoom studies" and "delays in providing services" to residents that last for months.
How about expanding on these matters?
A detailed report was issued with conclusions, one of which is clear and unequivocal - the pine trees in the city were planted without proper thinking and represent a significant risk of catching fire during a fire, and therefore they must be cut down. Yes - that was the conclusion, they must be cut down.
The residents of Horeb in the direction of Ahuza, as well as the residents of Romema and the residents of Vardia did not utter a word against it because they understood well and agreed.
I have not seen a single article here that bothers to voice the voices of those citizens who are still waiting for the conclusions of the report to be implemented,
But this cry is still heard in the streets today, years later, and many citizens still live in fear of the avenue of pines that decorates their street.
It's been almost 8 years since then, and that doesn't justify vandalizing a tree,
But all the trees in the article are pine trees and you are hiding a whole story behind it, the main one being the danger of human life and years of frustration.
Populism doesn't see you as a shower, a trash site.