Florida Woman Marries Tree To Save It From Being Cut

FORT MYERS, FL — Putting pressure on city officials who will decide the fate of a beloved tree on Tuesday, a woman decided to marry the giant ficus to save it from being cut.

The wedding ceremony between Karen Cooper and the tree in Snell Family Park in Fort Myers was held over the weekend, The Fort Myers News-Press reported. The fight to save the tree began last year when a man who who wanted to buy a lot that the tree extends onto wanted to know what his legal responsibilities would be in regards to the tree.

The man, Jeff Romer, told the Fort Myers Beautification Advisory Board at their last meeting that he just wanted to know if he was allowed to trim or prune the tree because he didn't want to be liable if the tree were to fall over. Romer also reportedly said at the last meeting that he never wanted the tree to be cut down.

City officials approved cutting down the tree in December and that's when residents began to protest, according to the News-Press. The city now seems to be moving away from cutting down the tree but Cooper told the paper its fate is still uncertain. An arborist determined that the tree could withstand pruning and that the tree was in "fairly robust health," according to the news report.

The beautification advisory board's meeting for Tuesday is scheduled for 4 p.m.

"It's still not saved," Cooper told the News-Press. "It's still not decided, and that's what I don't understand. If the arborist says it can be trimmed and if ... Jeff Romer stood up at the last meeting and said I never asked for the tree to be cut down, and if we all in the neighborhood don't want it to, why are we still talking about cutting the tree down?"

Read the full story at The Fort Myers News-Press.

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