Environmentalists fighting to prevent felling of tree alleys for road safety

Tree alleys are a typical feature of the Czech rural landscape, but with the intensity of traffic increasing they have become a battleground between the road maintenance authorities and environmentalists who are trying to prevent their systematic felling.

Photo: Barbora Kmentová

The tradition of tree alleys in the Czech lands goes back a long way –it was established during the reign of Empress Maria Thérèse in the 18th century. But the alleys that once gave shade to horse-drawn carriages are now perceived as a threat to road safety and in many areas of the country are being systematically chopped down. In the last ten years road maintenance crews have cut down entire alleys, felling approximately 160 thousand roadside trees. The environmental group Arnika has been fighting this policy all the way, with only partial success. Arnika’s Vratislav Vozník explains:

“Arnika’s Save the trees Campaign started back in 2008 when we received hundreds of letters from people who were concerned about the massive felling of trees along the roads. We launched a petition against this activity and thanks to public support we have made some headway. For the 160 thousand trees cut down – 100,000 new ones have been planted at a safer distance from the road. But our aim is to save as many of the old trees as we can and make the transition process more gradual –trees are a vital habitat for birds and insects and they need time to make the transition from the old trees to the new so as to maintain the biodiversity.”

Even with public support, curbing the felling activity has not proved easy. The road maintenance authorities point out that approximately 100 people die every year after crashing into roadside trees and that in areas where the speed limit is higher than 50 km per hour such accidents generally prove fatal.

Arnika has been pushing for an alternative solution in the form of passive safety measures such as safety fencing, warning signs and even bright colour stripes on trees which its volunteers are helping to paint- but with little success. Road safety officials claim that a safe roadside tree should not be located closer than 7 meters from the roadside. Moreover they claim that the old trees with their extensive root networks are damaging the road which requires more frequent maintenance. So the felling continues, but there is a concerted effort to keep it in check. The University of Ostrava is creating a database of tree-lined avenues on the territory of the Moravian-Silesian region and Palacký University in Olomouc is carrying out a similar task in the Zlín region.

Vratislav Vozník, photo: archive of Arnika

Vratislav Vozník says Arnika seeks inspiration from abroad.

“We closely cooperate with the German association Insula Rugia and seek inspiration from the German model of caring for tree alleys and using them for the region’s development. What I think is worth noting is that this initiative came from a German motorists club because motorists themselves realized the importance of preserving tree alleys. The tree-lined 'Deutsche Alleenstrasse, is 2, 900 km long, stretching from the Baltic island of Ruegen in the north to the World Heritage Site of Reichenau Island on Lake Constance in the south. We would like to create a similar tree alley which would link all the regions of the Czech Republic and connect with tree alleys in Germany and Austria.”

Those who want to help Arnika’s Save the Trees campaign can buy a sticker or engage in voluntary work such as mapping avenues or painting colour stripes on trees to increase road safety.