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Direct sun, hot asphalt causing 20-year-old River Market maple trees to die

The city was advised to plant this type of maple tree 20 years ago along Clinton Avenue because Atlanta, had seen success. But these trees are meant for shady, cool climates.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KTHV) – The River Market is a popular tourist attraction but the trees that line President Clinton Avenue are dying.

Replacing them could cost taxpayers thousands of dollars. Mark Webre with the Parks and Recreation Department said the department received three bids to replant the trees.

"They are alive but they're struggling,” he said. The lowest bid is $19,000 which is the cost that would replace all 57 Autumn Blaze Maple trees.

"They had been struggling now for 20 plus years since we planted them,” he said. He added that a consultant advised the city to plant this type of maple tree along Clinton Avenue because Atlanta, Georgia had seen success with these trees.

“These are trees that grow in shady areas or cool climates. Even though they grow in Atlanta, reportedly, they don’t do very well here,” he said. Out of the 57 trees on Clinton Avenue, 40 percent of them are dying and only 14 percent are in good condition. Webre said the trees get too much sunlight, causing their bark to split.

“The sun refracts off the buildings, the asphalt, and then the quick heat gain loss from morning to sun. It’s a very stressful environment for them,” he said. “[The trees] become susceptible to disease and pests."

Webre said the $19,000 would come out of the capital improvement taxes. But he said it is worth the investment. “We are surrounded with asphalt and buildings,” Webre said. “[The trees] provide us comfort, shade and relief from the heat.”

The River Market District Committee still has to review the bids before they can replant the trees. If approved, replanting would most likely begin in the fall of 2018.

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