County courthouse trees removed ‘for safety’

OREGON — Two trees on the north side of the old Ogle County Courthouse campus recently were removed for safety reasons, according to a county official.

“They are a liability, they’re dying,” Ogle County Board Vice Chairperson Patrica Nordman said at the June 21 county board meeting. “Part of the stewardship that we’re going to be building upon, we’ll be trying to look at Illinois trees that are native to Illinois. We’ll be looking at putting new trees up.

“They also will be doing trimming of the canopies, because we have quite a few dead areas up there also,” she added. “So just an FYI. We’re not trying to kill the trees, we just want to maintain safety.”

A crew from Timberman Tree Service, Rochelle, cut down the trees Tuesday morning and ground their stumps.

Nordman posted this press release on Tuesday:

Ogle County Courthouse Lawn Tree Forestry, Oregon

The beautiful courthouse located in Oregon, IL. needs attention on the northside. The two large trees located either side of the Veteran’s Memorial are very old. Those trees have served the county well but need to be removed for safety. The trees will be removed July 5, as well as additional canopy work will be done.

This fall watch for Reforestation and planting of the Illinois State Tree the White Oak.

Thank you for understanding and patience in advance.