The national register of Big Trees: 2002-2003 - A-Y - Statistical Data Included

American Forests, Spring, 2002

From the Big Tree DEPARTMENT

The controversy has simmered for months: Which is the bigger boldcypress, Louisiana's reigning national champion or Florida's Senator? The issue was not point size (Florida's is 557 points smaller) but whether Louisiana's was a single tree or several grown together. DNA testing has confirmed the Cat island chomp as a single boldcypress, allowing it to keep its crown. The tree has a 644-inch circumference and stands 83 feet tall with an 85-foot average crown spread and a total of 748 points, Issues like this one have led AMERICAN FORESTS to develop a Big Tree Advisory Committee. We'll look to them to improve coordination at the state and local levels and set standards for species eligibility and measurement specifications. Committee members include: state coordinators Pete Smith (Tex.), Kay Fermann (Tenn.), and David Johnson (N.J.); Big Tree hunters Robert Van Pelt, Robert Leverett, and Colby Rucker; Susan Corbett of AMERICAN FORESTS' Historic Tree Nursery; and scientists from the National Arboretum and Chris Luley from The Davey Tree Expert Company. For info, contact Karen Fedor, VP, Global ReLeaf Center at kfedor@amfor.org. Many thanks to McKenzie Clement, a Global ReLeaf Center fellow, for her bard work, patience, and dedication to making the 2002 Register a reality.

Karen Fedor