In Cali a debate has been opened around the relocation of 71 trees in the 25th Street corridor, between 3rd and 7th Avenues, in connection with the Fair events. The measure, led by Dagma and Corfecali, is accompanied by commitments from do not carry out logging and to execute a procedure with technical support.
While authorities maintain that this is a carefully planned relocation, Residents of San Nicolás and Commune 3 They are calling for greater participation and clarity on the details. The intervention is justified by the need to create space for parades and activities, but the temporary impact on the green zone keeps the community on alert.
What the transfer will be like on 25th Street
Dagma has specified that the specimens, planted approximately a year and a half, will be moved to clear specific sections of the festive route. These are young individuals, which, according to the technicians, reduces the risk of failure at the tree transplant process.
The intervention will be carried out within the same road corridor as 25th Street, so that the vegetation cover is not lost in the area of influence. The objective is to preserve the ecological function of the trees while making it compatible with the temporary use of public space during the Fair.
Corfecali emphasizes that there will be no improvisations: a script will be followed with Dagma technical criteria, including preparation of the root ball, root management and irrigation, and post-transfer supervision protocols. The District Ombudsman's Office will have accompaniment and oversight of process.
Once the events are over, the organizing entity will assume with its own resources the comprehensive recovery of the environment: replacement of green areas, restoration of the landscape and gardening finishing touches, with the promise of returning the spaces in equal or better conditions than the current ones.
Neighborhood participation and socialization calendar
The initial announcement generated a citizen sit-in on 25th Street and 5th Avenue, where residents expressed that they were not informed precisely about the magnitude of the tree movement. Among their concerns, they highlighted the urban heat of the sector and the need to preserve shade and ecosystem services.
To socialize the procedure, a meeting was called on Saturday, October 25 at 19:00 at the communal headquarters of the San Cayetano neighborhood, open to spokespersons of Commune 3. The community also scheduled a technical table in the Saint Nicholas parish and another meeting on November 10 at the Molino Roncayo building, with the idea of building agreements and receiving answers on the compensation guarantees.
Neighborhood leaders remember that they have been promoting the environmental recovery of the corridor, with planting days in which Dagma participated and, in a second phase, the Police. The section is considered the main green area of the San Nicolás neighborhood and is recognized as green corridor in article 449 of the POT (agreement 0373 of 2014).
The Mayor's Office and Dagma insist that there will be no logging and that the regulations only allow outages in exceptional cases, such as emergencies, with a sanctioning regime in case of violation. The director of Dagma has reiterated that the transfer will be with specialist personnel and technical support from the nursery.
In addition to dialogue with citizens, a post-transfer follow-up to check the rooting, vigor, and recovery of the specimens. Measures include support irrigation, tutoring, and monitoring of water stress, especially in the first few weeks.
A reference outside of Colombia: moving a 400-year-old oak tree
In the city of Kyle (Texas), an oak nicknamed Porter Oak or “Jolene”, about 400 years old, will be relocated to prevent its felling due to road expansion. The decision followed a neighborhood mobilization who demanded alternatives to the removal of the tree.
The plan, valued at almost one million dollars, includes pre- and post-movement treatments, the creation of a small park, and road and hydraulic restoration works. The move is expected before the end of the year, and the city council will carry out a two-year follow-up to the health of the specimen.
This precedent shows that, with planning and care’s most emblematic landmarks, the tree relocation Even very long-lived projects can be carried out, although it involves costs, specialized logistics and a inter-institutional coordination sustained.
The 25th Street case outlines a balance between cultural activity and plant protection: transfer within the same corridor, technical supervision and subsequent recovery of the environment. The key will be to maintain the transparency with neighbors, implement robust protocols and ensure monitoring that confirms that trees continue to perform their ecological functions in the sector.
