THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Sunday, January 15, 1995               TAG: 9501130195
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS      PAGE: 06   EDITION: FINAL 
TYPE: Editorial 
                                             LENGTH: Short :   29 lines

FELL ONE, PLANT ONE

Portsmouth frequently has boasted of being a ``tree city.'' At the same time, the city has been busy with chain saws and axes virtually stripping old streets once shaded with trees.

Recently, the city said it would plant 100 new trees in Port Norfolk, where trees have been disappearing rapidly. That's good news.

But what about the rest of the city, especially the older areas where many, many trees have been chopped down?

Compare today's streets with pictures taken on the same streets 10 or 20 years ago. The comparison shows the need for immediate action by City Council to require replacement of each tree that is removed.

Taking 50 trees off the streets around town and planting 50 trees at Churchland High School only even out on paper, which has been used to argue that trees have been ``replaced.''

Replacements must be made where trees are removed. Otherwise, old Portsmouth will be treeless within the next year or so. by CNB