FOMT NEWS UPDATE

 

"The forest was shrinking, but the trees kept voting for the axe, for the axe was clever and convinced the trees that because his handle was made of wood, he was one of them."
 

       President's Note: With the significant changes underway for Mobile's Urban Forest, this is an excellent time for you, or someone you know, who is interested in our treescape's future to step forward to properly manage this website.                                       Until then, FOMT will use this website as an additional "electronic bulletin board" to keep you informed about what is happening and, sadly, not happening at Government Plaza. Here you will see the latest tree-related news. You can also post your public comments on our Friends of Mobile Trees' Facebook page.

                                                      

 

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June 4, 2026:Good morning. A glimmer of light in Mobile’s urban forest! As FOMT previously reported to you, Mobile’s Tree Commissioners halted ALL public communication in July, 2024, citing “technical issues” with their Buildmobile website page. Now, we are happy to tell you the Commissioners are coming out of the shadows. No meeting announcements, agendas or minutes yet, but, they have publicly posted brief “results” from their April 21st meeting at: 

https://www.buildmobile.org/planning/tree-commission/

As we told you in April, that’s the meeting where the Commissioners voted to approve Councilor Ben Reynolds request to give $10,000 to the Tillman’s Corner Chamber of Commerce for emergency watering of trees planted too late in the season that these same Commissioners previously said were overpriced and too expensive for them to buy.

This is also the meeting where former Urban Forester Peter Toler reported that Mayor Cheriogotis had personally trimmed the Chrichton Leprechaun tree on Le Cren Street. Mr. Toler released for the City an excellent video of the Mayor’s tree trimming just a few days before the Mayor fired Mr. Toler after eleven years providing emergency response in all kinds of crazy weather. The video is on YouTube or you can view through this link       

 https://youtu.be/8UYw5nHYwxU?si=5YnYDdSm8yjVbh0w

Very ironically, Mayor Cheriogotis goes to great lengths in this video to let the public know that he was trimming the tree, not cutting it down. Yet, later that week, he authorized clear-cutting the entire grove of oaks on Michigan Avenue on the center median just north of I-10 without any public announcement as to why or public discussion. Since there was no impending circumstance such as a storm or imminent tree failures, that action appears to break state law. The Mobile Tree Act assigns the Tree Commissioners the duty of approving routine tree removal, not the Mayor. If you or I cut down those trees, penalties would include potential prison time.

While we have received dozens of emails, texts and messages from concerned residents about this sudden destruction of about a half mile of oaks, not one of the seven City Councilors who appoint the Commissioners, the Mayor or his staff members have answered our members’ requests to explain this destruction. But, someone did emerge from left field to defend the Mayor’s actions. More tomorrow about this additional strange twist that speaks volumes about the Michigan Avenue clear cutting.

John Robb, President

For the FOMT Board

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​June 3, 2026: Hello all, just back home so catching up on the recent clear cutting of live oaks on the center median of Michigan Avenue just  north of I-10. As highlighted in CAPS, we don't see how the Mobile Tree Act allows the mayor to do this without ANY public notice or hearing and still be within the letter and spirit of this law. All the texts, emails and private Facebook messages we've received are incredibly vague second-hand comments like "I heard Airbus wanted them out." There was another vague reference to improper placement causing roots to come up through the avenue but the picture itself shows NOTHING unusual on Michigan. So how on earth was this "reasonably necessary" to take out these beautiful oaks and, even if for some reason it was, why no public notice or discussion by anybody involved in this?

 

Section 11-72-9 Application and Permission to Cut, Remove, Trim, Etc.; Emergency Exceptions

(a) Except as provided in subsection (b), no person shall cut, remove, trim, or in any way damage any tree in any street right-of-way in the Class 2 municipality or create any condition injurious to any tree without having first made a written application so to do to the commission and having obtained advance written permission from the commission. Any governmental body or utility may, by filing an application accompanied by a certificate as hereinafter provided, obtain a continuing permission to trim, cut, or remove at any time any trees in any area described in its application for such permission. The form of application shall be as established by the commission, and the commission may delegate to one or more of its members or officers the power to grant such permission in accordance with standards set by it. The commission may in its discretion hold public hearings on any application and may approve part of an application or may approve an application upon terms and conditions as the commission may establish. In considering any application before it, the commission shall base its decision on whether the public and private benefit that will result from granting the application outweighs the public and private benefit that will result from denying it. In the event the mayor of the Class 2 municipality or public utility shall certify to the commissioners that it desires to trim, cut, or remove trees and that it is or MAY BECOME REASONABLY NECESSARY to do so to prevent a public hazard or to provide efficient or economical service to the public, then such certificate shall be conclusive evidence for the approval of the application, and the commission shall approve the same, and there shall be no appeal from such approval except as provided in Section 11-72-10.

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FOMT will regularly update Facebook and this website mobiletrees.org with what we find out about this deliberate act. We believe that, left unchallenged, this activity will only encourage Mayor Cheriogotis to do this again in other neighborhoods. What then would stop him from ignoring laws in other areas of public policy such as our public health and public safety?

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 For the FOMT Board

John Robb, President

FRIENDS OF MOBILE TREES™

john.robb102@yahoo.com

mobiletrees@yahoo.com

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Greetings from Friends of Mobile Trees!

Big changes are coming soon for the Mobile Tree Commission although it would be difficult to see that from the Commissioners’ unposted agenda for yesterday’s monthly meeting. Aside from routine department reports and denial of two routine individual tree permits, nothing much happened. No trees are being planted despite FOMT’s continued offer to pay for all the trees for Phase 2 of the Airport Boulevard median project. They also held off on Councilor Ben Reynolds' request last month for another 10K for emergency watering of trees in Tillman's Corner that were planted too late in the season and were, according to the same Commissioners, too expensive for them to buy.

However, applications are now closed for Urban Forester Peter Toler’s vacant position so we will soon have his replacement named. Tree Commissioner Donavan Ballard is now doubling as the Commission's Urban Forestry rep and is the most likely choice to replace Mr. Toler. If that does happen, Mr. Ballard would likely need to resign his position on the Commission to avoid an obvious conflict of interest.

Also, elections of new board officers is set for next month so we will likely have a new Chair to replace long-time Chair Will Rooks. Treasurer Andrew Blejwas is the ranking member eligible to step up.

As for the Commissioners’ continued monthly failure since July, 2024 to post on their Buildmobile web page meeting announcements, agendas, minutes or even two-or-three-word action summaries, the Commissioners are now saying that is due to “computer” issues. They say they “may” opt to begin posting meeting announcements seven days in advance on the bulletin board across from the City side elevators at Government Plaza to, at least, technically comply with the Alabama Open Meetings Act.

As always, we’ll keep you posted on what happens or not happens for our beautiful trees.
 

For the FOMT Board

John Robb, President

FRIENDS OF MOBILE TREES™

john.robb102@yahoo.com

mobiletrees@yahoo.com

mobiletrees.org

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