One majestic slippery elm has stood for decades — maybe a century — in a Maumelle park, offering much and asking nothing.
But now the tree has gotten its deserved attention, said Jim Rule, chairman of the Maumelle Tree Board.
The elm has been dedicated as the city’s first Heritage Tree.
“It’s just such a beautiful, graceful tree,” said Rule, who submitted the tree for the symbolic honor. “It’s not only a source of oxygen for all creatures; it provides wonderful habitats for animals and insects and everything so important to our environment.”
Rule said the red elm, also called a slippery elm, is probably 75 to 100 years old and is located in the middle of Park on the River on Crystal Hill Road. He said that from the tree’s site on a hill, one has a panoramic view of the Arkansas River from Pinnacle Mountain to the Interstate 430 bridge.
The Maumelle Tree Board celebrated its 10th anniversary this year, but this is the first time a Heritage Tree has been selected. Rule said the purpose of the designation is to highlight the importance of trees, especially in the urban environment.
“We kind of keep our eye on the tree population of Maumelle, and we are kind of coming up with, I guess you’d call it an inventory. We do it every year; we’re working on it now,” Rule said.
Tree-board members identify areas “that need to be watched carefully, trees that may be distressed. There’s an area of Maumelle Boulevard where we want to plant more trees,” Rule said.
Maumelle was designated as a Tree City by the national Arbor Day Foundation.
Rule said Pete Rausch of Little Rock, an arborist, helps tree-board members decide what trees to plant and avoid species that won’t work.
“We tend to want to plant native trees because they’re used to this climate. … We’re really careful about what we plant,” Rule said.
However, the tree board has a “pretty meager budget,” Rule said. “We get $700 now; we’re hoping to get $1,000 next year.”
The tree board works in conjunction with the city.
“We have to get the city’s cooperation; the city has to maintain [the trees],” Rule said, adding that the city has been a good partner.
Maumelle Mayor Mike Watson said he is pleased about the Heritage Tree’s selection.
“I think they made an excellent choice on the tree they selected down at Park on the River,” he said. Watson said some trees in the park were damaged by a wind storm a couple of years ago, and broken limbs can still be seen in some of the tall trees.
“I’m glad we’re able to have trees that have been around that long,” the mayor said.
He praised the Maumelle Tree Board for replacing trees that have been lost and planting trees at locations such as Lake Willastein and the city’s athletic fields.
Rule said his love of trees grew out of his family history; the love of trees is practically genetic.
His grandfather Herbert C. Rule moved from Iowa to Arkansas in the mid-1890s and was a founder of Crossett Lumber Co.
“Our whole family came to Arkansas because of his commitment to the tree industry, and Crossett became one of the early converts to reforestation rather than cut and move,” he said.
Jim Rule’s grandfather fostered a relationship between the company and the Yale School of Forestry, which led to several members of the family, including Rule, attending Yale College, which is part of Yale University.
A ceremony to dedicate the Heritage Tree was held at the end of October.
An engraved bronze plaque placed on a large stone near the base of the elm identifies it as a Heritage Tree and states that it is “to remind us all that trees are our best friend and deserve our watchful care.”
Rule said he hopes this tree is the first of many Heritage Trees in Maumelle.
“We are already looking for candidates for next year,” he said.
Senior writer Tammy Keith can be reached at (501) 327-0370 or tkeith@arkansasonline.com.