Commissioners discuss tree removal at Newton's Woods; some residents expressed concern

Commissioners discussed community concerns about recent tree removal at Newton's Woods after one commissioner said the work left wood piled close to the roadway.

"They really did leave that a mess," a commissioner said, adding that residents had raised complaints about wood left near the road. Another commissioner asked who was carrying out the work; the reply in the meeting record was that “some outside source that the university hired” had been performing the cutting.

A commissioner said they believed the removal targeted trees affected by disease and noted that Parks Director Scott Wyman had spoken about the matter recently: "I believe that there was a disease that they were cutting the trees down that had that disease. I think, parks director Wyman spoke on it not too long ago, and I think that's why they were doing all the cutting. MSU came in and took out any that were affected." That statement was made during the commissioner comments portion of the meeting and attributed to a commissioner reporting on Wyman's earlier remarks; the transcript does not contain a direct quote from Wyman himself.

Why it matters: tree removal in publicly accessible woods can affect local recreation, roadside safety and neighborhood aesthetics. The transcript shows commissioners acknowledged resident concern and advised contacting Michigan State University or Parks Director Scott Wyman for more complete information.

Details and limits of the record: the meeting record did not include a direct statement from Michigan State University staff or from Parks Director Wyman during this session, nor did it include an official report documenting the extent of the removals, the disease identified, or a remediation plan. Commissioners described seeing areas where trees had been cut and where other sections were left intact. One commissioner suggested county staff could obtain more details from the university.

Next steps: commissioners indicated they would seek additional information through Parks Director Scott Wyman or by contacting Michigan State University so they could provide fact-based responses to concerned residents.