Tuesday, October 6, 2026
The city of Tumwater is working with Todd Prager & Associates on a new assessment of the historic Davis Meeker Garry oak tree after two branches fell to the ground during a windstorm on Sept. 25.
Assistant City Administrator Kelly Adams said the city expects to get the report from the firm within 30 days. The report would then be presented to the Tumwater Historic Preservation Commission and Tumwater City Council at later dates.
The report is expected to update the city’s maintenance plan and evaluate any new risks for the tree on Old Highway 99 near Olympia Regional Airport.
The failures happened on the same day the airport recorded afternoon wind gusts exceeding 40 miles per hour. No injuries or property damage were reported.
The branches fell from the southwest portion of the tree, which was previously identified for load reduction pruning in a 2025 risk assessment by Prager & Associates.
The fallen branches are currently in the city’s storage. Adams said staff are waiting to hear back from tribal partners if they are interested in taking the wood. If any material is left, the city will open a process so community members could also request wood.
This is the second time a branch has fallen from the tree since 2023. The earlier incident prompted an initial risk assessment, leading former Mayor Debbie Sullivan to order the tree's removal, a decision she later reversed following community pushback.
Sullivan told The JOLT about her concern for the tree’s future. “I love the tree, but I also do not want people to be injured or killed. That tree has had several failings before this … and all that's left is in very even more dangerous areas, so I just hope no one is ever injured because of it," she said.
“And then they're talking about a super El Niño this year. I don't know what that means. If it's going to be wetter or drier, I don't know, but whenever we have those huge weather conditions, it just makes me nervous.”
Sullivan also raised concerns about the additional regulations to preserve the tree.
Due to prior court decisions, the city may not alter the tree without the approval from the Tumwater Historic Preservation Commission and the Washington State Department of Archeological and Historic Preservation.
“I just hope that the requirements put in to save the tree doesn't keep it from being actually well-maintained,” Sullivan said.
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JW
Cut it down and make some nice furniture for the new city hall. Make a memorial at the stump so the local tree huggers can go weep and then let's move on from this endless story.
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RondaLarsonKramer
Just to clarify: the court decisions are not what are requiring the city to get permission. Rather, state statute and city municipal code are what require it. The court decisions merely told the mayor that these laws require the city to obtain permission before pruning or removal. Had the prior mayor, Debbie Sullivan, followed the law on her own initiative, the court would not have needed to be involved.
Also, former Mayor Sullivan was asked by arborists (e.g., Ray Gleason) and community members for years to provide the maintenance needed to keep the tree in good shape. The branch failures may have been avoided if she had not decided to abstain from arranging regular maintenance on the tree. The current mayor has taken a different approach, thankfully, and is following the law and appears committed to arranging maintenance that will keep the tree in good shape and reduce risk.
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