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Treeman Photographs | profile | all galleries >> Galleries >> Tree Abuse Gallery: The Butchered and Disappearing Trees in the Town of Miami Lakes, FL tree view | thumbnails | slideshow

Tree Abuse Gallery: The Butchered and Disappearing Trees in the Town of Miami Lakes, FL

The Miami Lakes development by SENGRA (now named as The Graham Companies) started in the early 60's as a well-planned community with plenty of lakes, curving roads, parks and generous planting of shade trees, with deed restrictions designed to enhance property values. These deed restrictions required approval of modifications, including landscaping, in advance by an Architectural Control Committee. Consequently very little tree removal or obscene tree trimming was seen for the first 30 or so years. The original Miami Lakes community became part of the Town of Miami Lakes incorporation that also included the Graham-developed western Miami Lakes and non-Graham developments west and north of Miami Lakes such as the West Lake development and developments north of NW 154th Street west of the Palmetto Expressway. Since incorporation into the Town of Miami Lakes the number of trees being butchered and cut down has increased tremendously, and one can only wonder why the Town of Miami Lakes has not established their own tree protection ordinance since Miami-Dade County's ordinance has been weakened by the Board of County Commissioners. The town's Mayor and Council have spent their time and energies doing all kinds of other things but they have failed to protect one of the town's most valuable assets, our trees. With code compliance inspectors nailing people all over for minor code infractions you would think they would cite residents who destroy or damage the community's trees. A significant number of long-time Miami Lakes residents have moved out to Weston and other communities in Broward County, and further upstate and to other states, and they've been replaced by new residents who are destroying the aesthetic and environmental appeal of Miami Lakes. Our long-time and environmentally conscious residents deserve better and the Town of Miami Lakes elected and appointed officials need to get off their duffs and get their act together before the entire town looks defoliated like Hialeah to the south.
Large old Black Olive tree being cut down at 72 - - Miami Lakeway South, Town of Miami Lakes, FL
Large old Black Olive tree being cut down at 72 - - Miami Lakeway South, Town of Miami Lakes, FL		 Live Oak Tree Abuse and Removal at McDonalds's on Miami Lakes Drive in the Town of Miami Lakes
Live Oak Tree Abuse and Removal at McDonalds's on Miami Lakes Drive in the Town of Miami Lakes		 #1 of series - Tree butchers caught in action at 14302 Marginada Court, Miami Lakes, FL 33014-2922
#1 of series - Tree butchers caught in action at 14302 Marginada Court, Miami Lakes, FL 33014-2922		 #2 of series - Seriously damaged Mahogany tree at 14302 Marginada Court, Miami Lakes, FL 33014-2922
#2 of series - Seriously damaged Mahogany tree at 14302 Marginada Court, Miami Lakes, FL 33014-2922		 #3 of series - Large old dead Black Olive tree at 14302 Marginada Court, Miami Lakes, FL 33014-2922
#3 of series - Large old dead Black Olive tree at 14302 Marginada Court, Miami Lakes, FL 33014-2922
#4 of series - Seriously damaged Mahogany tree at 14302 Marginada Court, Miami Lakes, FL 33014-2922
#4 of series - Seriously damaged Mahogany tree at 14302 Marginada Court, Miami Lakes, FL 33014-2922		 #5 of series - Large old dead Black Olive tree cut down at 14302 Marginada Court, Miami Lakes, FL 33014-2922
#5 of series - Large old dead Black Olive tree cut down at 14302 Marginada Court, Miami Lakes, FL 33014-2922		 Tree Abuse: 40-50 year old Live Oak trees butchered behind the Chevron Station on Miami Lakes Drive in Miami Lakes, FL 33014
Tree Abuse: 40-50 year old Live Oak trees butchered behind the Chevron Station on Miami Lakes Drive in Miami Lakes, FL 33014		 Tree Abuse: 40-50 year old Live Oak tree butchered behind the Chevron Station on Miami Lakes Drive in Miami Lakes, FL
Tree Abuse: 40-50 year old Live Oak tree butchered behind the Chevron Station on Miami Lakes Drive in Miami Lakes, FL		 Tree Abuse: 40-50 year old Live Oak tree butchered behind the Chevron Station on Miami Lakes Drive in Miami Lakes, FL
Tree Abuse: 40-50 year old Live Oak tree butchered behind the Chevron Station on Miami Lakes Drive in Miami Lakes, FL
Tree destruction: public-owned large old Black Olive tree on public swale area destroyed at 7460 Twin Sabal Drive, Miami Lakes
Tree destruction: public-owned large old Black Olive tree on public swale area destroyed at 7460 Twin Sabal Drive, Miami Lakes		 Tree Abuse: severely mutilated large old Black Olive tree at 7361 Big Cypress Court, Miami Lakes, FL
Tree Abuse: severely mutilated large old Black Olive tree at 7361 Big Cypress Court, Miami Lakes, FL		 Tree Elimination: Giant old Live Oak tree removed at 7430 Twin Sabal Drive, Town of Miami Lakes, FL
Tree Elimination: Giant old Live Oak tree removed at 7430 Twin Sabal Drive, Town of Miami Lakes, FL		 Tree Destruction: dying taxpayer-owned Black Olive tree on public swale area at 7450 Twin Sabal Drive, Town of Miami Lakes, FL
Tree Destruction: dying taxpayer-owned Black Olive tree on public swale area at 7450 Twin Sabal Drive, Town of Miami Lakes, FL

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Toby 04-Jul-2014 17:15
TRee companies will trick people into doing this - and insurance companies.
Treeman Photographs03-Jun-2008 07:50
The majority of the street trees in Miami Lakes are Black Olives and if they were all cut down as you say then this town would look like absolute crap. It is unfortunate that the Graham Companies (then SENGRA) cheaped out and went with the Black Olives instead of Oaks but I surmise that they did it because the Oaks are slower growing. But there are more than Black Olives being butchered and cut down in Miami Lakes - there are Mahogany trees, Poinciana trees, Oaks and other native trees being butchered, cut down or poisoned.
CARING 28-Apr-2008 19:13
I AGREE WITH THE LIVE OAK STUFF. BUT GIVE ME A BREAK ON THE BLACK OLIVES. THE WORST TREE YOU CAN HAVE CUT THEM ALL DOWN I SAY
Guest 08-Mar-2007 22:42
Mr. Treeman:

Thanks for this webpage. I agree with you 1000%!!. We need to protect our trees and the entire Town from turning into a dump. Our zoning code only has two pages that deal with landscaping. This is an embarrasment and a shame for a Town government that prides itself about its tree canopies and landscaping areas. I agree that we need a tree protection ordinance (Miami Springs has one). Why can't we have one, too.
Please try to attend the next Town Council meeting this coming Tues. March 13 at 7:00p.m. . All caring residents of Miami Lakes need to get together and send a message to our Town Manager and Council members that they are not working hard or fast enough to protect our trees and enforcing the code. We hope that more people like you participate in our "crusade" to protect Miami Lakes from deteriorating any further.

M.R.
Guest 08-Mar-2007 16:14
Mr. Treeman: It is very important the job that you are doing denouncing all this. I would like to get in touch with you. We are a group of residents that would like to preserve the beauty, the trees and the green areas in our Town. I also would like to know if you have sent any emails to the Town to look into your pictures. That will be very interesting for them to know and see what they would do about it. You have caught them infraganti and that's a good thing. Right now, we, my husband and I, are showing a sign in our car that reads: "Shame on You" Councilmembers and Realtors Simon and Pulido for trying to pollute Miami Lakes with signs. This coming Tuesday is the Town Regular Meeting, at 7 p.m. at the Miami Lakes Middle School, come by, and participate in what they are not doing in our Town.

Thanks,

Miriam
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