Politics & Government

Removal of Centuries-Old Teaneck Tree Pushed Back

Officials, academics collaborating on effort to clone historic red oak

The removal of Teaneck's centuries-old red oak has been postponed until a team of academics can begin a project in early June to clone the historic tree, officials said Tuesday.

As part of the project, Jason Grabosky, an associate professor of ecology at Rutgers University, will take 100 cuttings from the live tree on June 5 to grow new trees in a lab. Officials described the effort as an “experimental possibility” of cloning the tree, but noted there is no record of red oaks being cloned. 

Another Rutgers professor and graduate students are set to work with the state forestry service and Rutgers research center New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station in the effort to propagate the tree, officials said. Grabosky is also consulting with colleagues at Cornell University on the project.

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As a backup, the county’s tree removal contractor won’t remove the oak’s stump in the hopes that it will sprout next spring to allow other attempts at cloning the centuries-old tree.

A section of the tree's branch, called soft wood growth, can be mixed into a hormone as a way to spur growth. Tissue taken through cuttings from the Teaneck oak can also be grafted onto another tree.

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An exact date for cutting down the tree hasn’t been scheduled, but it was expected to come down shortly after the samples are taken in June, according to Jeanne Baratta, chief of staff at Bergen County Executive Kathleen Donovan’s Office.

Officials are also exploring using wood from the tree in Van Saun County Park, Baratta said.

The 200 to 350 year old oak, at Cedar Lane and Palisade Avenue, was slated to come down this week after experts concluded the tree was decaying, had been damaged by termites, roadwork and a lightning strike. An independent expert hired by the Teaneck-based Puffin Foundation ultimately concluded with the county’s analysis of the tree that it could present a safety risk. 

Residents, including State Senator Loretta Weinberg and her late husband Irwin, have successfully protested past efforts to knock down the tree. Earlier this year, the Township Council formally designated the tree as a historic site and the Puffin Foundation in 2011 donated $100,000 to maintain the oak.

Costs for Rutgers to take on the cloning project are estimated at less than $5,000, Baratta said. Participation from the state nursery is expected to range from $1,000 to $1,500 while use of aerial bucket to take the cuttings will cost about $300 to $400.

Related News: 

  • Experts Agree Centuries-Old Teaneck Tree Should Be Removed
  • Massive Oak Becomes Teaneck Historic Site
  • Weinberg to be Honored for Saving Centuries-old Teaneck Tree

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