WASHINGTON — The National Park Service has started the process to remove an 80-foot elm tree from Lafayette Park that was estimated to be at least 140 years old.
The tree was the oldest and largest tree at Lafayette Park.
According to National Park Service Spokesperson Chelsea Sullivan, the tree was removed because of a high risk of root decay. A Park Service horticulturist and other experts inspected the tree both inside and out and recommended removing it from the park.
The process of removing the tree started at 9 a.m. Wednesday and will take three to five days to complete.
Sullivan said portions of the tree will be preserved by the park.
The exact age of the tree is unknown but records from 1910 lead the park service to believe the tree is somewhere between 140 and 150 years old.
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