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Trail of Tears and marker arborglyphs, Forsyth Co. GAA Rundown
Photos of the trees
The Initial Predicament of the Trees
History of the Trail of Tears Trees
The May 29th Meeting with the Forsyth Planning Committee
After the Planning Committee Meeting
The Forsyth News and shoddy journalism
EPD Violations
Edward Reynolds response to the Forsyth News and addresses
Atlanta Journal Constitution Article on the trees
June 26th Planning Commission Meeting outcome
June 26 Forsyth Planning Committee outcome
We did not prevail at the meeting. The zoning went through. When asked by
one commissioner would Mr Heard give the tree to one of our group, His new
lawyer, Mr Lipscomb, said that they would have to ask Mr. Heard, who was
not there to my knowledge. He continued by saying that they would be glad
to give them to a university should they want them and specifically said
Reinhardt College. This, all but admitting that the statement issued by
the previous lawyer was not correct and that Reinhardt had never looked at
them.
Mr. Lipscomb argued in advance of us, that "no credible" argument had been
made in behalf of the trees by a qualified person. But in fact, they would
not allow us to have a qualified person to look at it despite on being
available.
We then spoke and hand to each commissioner, a folder that contained all of
the materials including our rebuttal to the Forsyth County News article and
the Petition. We ask that they deny the zoning and we stated that there
actions would set a tone that would cause the destruction of all cultural
artifact that stood in the way of development. We also pointed out that
Mr Van Moore's findings on the age of the tree were inaccurate and that
the proper techniques were not used. Well, the board calls Mr. Moore to
speak. He plops a section of the tree done and start to do a song and
dance and that the tree was at least 77 years of growth and because of how
he had done it that it, conceding that our points were correct, that it
could have been as much as 50 years older. At that time Mr. Moore was ask
about how long ago the Cherokee left, to which he replied that he was not
expert on the Cherokee and did not know. Well my wife's hand only beat
mine into the air by a small amount of time. The chair recognized my wife
who ask that I be allowed to speak in her stead. I explained to them that
the tree had been fallen over for almost 40 years and no growth rings would
have occurred, so that meant the tree could have been as old as 167 years
old based on known facts. I also stated that the Trail of Tear occurred in
1838, and that was not necessarily a factor, as many Cherokee remained in
GA and in fact lived in Forsyth County Today and that age did not diminish
their cultural significance in any way.
These fact were not rebutted by the opposing side. The public hearing then
ended and the commissioners attached nothing to its approval whatsoever
about the trees.
Edward
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