Cutting down the trees

[tungpo1]

My father-in-law just got back from the campground this weekend. He said that they have cut down so many trees the loops look bare, anyone know why they are doing that?

[big kahuna1]

They did not really cut down any trees (maybe a few) but they cleaned/cleared all of the brush and other vegetation between and behind each campsite which makes the Fort not so Wildernessy at this time but it will grow back in no time.

[tungpo1]

Thanks big kahuna1 just checking:thumbsup2

[LarryJ]

My father-in-law just got back from the campground this weekend. He said that they have cut down so many trees the loops look bare, anyone know why they are doing that?

I can' remember when the hurricanes came thru, but the biggest change will just how open some of the loops are now versus what they have been for the 20 years prior to the hurricanes. Below are two pics the first Site 1626 in 1998 and the second Site 1628 in 2005. It took me several hours to site my satellite antenna to get thru he trees back in 1998, but did it in 2005 in like 5 minutes on the first try.

http://www.wdwinfo.com/photopost/data/500/155128FW_Summer_1998_Site_1626-med.jpg

http://www.wdwinfo.com/photopost/data/500/155128FW_Xmas_2005_Site_1628-med.jpg

Here are two more pics from Site 1628 ... looking towards the canal view 1

http://www.wdwinfo.com/photopost/data/500/155128Site_1628_Towards_Canal_second_view_2005-med.jpg


...looking towards the canal view 1

http://www.wdwinfo.com/photopost/data/500/155128Site_1628_Towards_Canal_2005-med.jpg


I don't have a real current pic looking toward the canal or into the interior of the 1600 loop, but IIRC back in 2000 it still as it had always looking sort of like the following which was in 1986 looking towards the center of the 1600 loop from Site 1628.

http://www.wdwinfo.com/photopost/data/500/155128FW_Summer_1986_Site_1624.jpg

From what I understand the wind damage was sort of hit and miss effecting some areas a lot more than others sort of like a tornado. My guess is that probably 30% of the trees and almost all the underbrush small scrubs are gone at least in the 1600 loop area.

Larry

[Colson39]

Yep, we had a big discussion on this recently in another thread, and LarryJ has some great pictures showing the differences.

It's not that they're trying to make the Fort bare, it's that the hurricanes from a few years ago really damaged a lot of the trees at the Fort. They'll still be removing trees in the years to come, they have to, a lot of the trees have been dying a slow death since the hurricanes.

It's either that or watch as more and more dead branches/trees start to topple over, and I don't think Disney wants that ;)

P.S. This is nature, don't worry, it will grow back. The Fort actually almost needed this, it had become so overgrown, nature just needs to clear itself out every once in a while, Disney is just helping it along.

The clearing of the underbrush mainly has to do with the threat of fire, there have been severe fire threats in Central Florida the last couple of years, and the combination of dying trees + lots of underbrush is not a good thing.

[Duane]

Now if they would just go in and cut out some of those "famous" sunken trash cans along side of the loop roads.... Now that would be an improvement!

[bigdisneydaddy]

Yep, we had a big discussion on this recently in another thread, and LarryJ has some great pictures showing the differences.

It's not that they're trying to make the Fort bare, it's that the hurricanes from a few years ago really damaged a lot of the trees at the Fort. They'll still be removing trees in the years to come, they have to, a lot of the trees have been dying a slow death since the hurricanes.

It's either that or watch as more and more dead branches/trees start to topple over, and I don't think Disney wants that ;)

P.S. This is nature, don't worry, it will grow back. The Fort actually almost needed this, it had become so overgrown, nature just needs to clear itself out every once in a while, Disney is just helping it along.

The clearing of the underbrush mainly has to do with the threat of fire, there have been severe fire threats in Central Florida the last couple of years, and the combination of dying trees + lots of underbrush is not a good thing.

Mother nature usually clears the overgrown brush by fire, I dont think FW wants that to happen. With all of the dead and dying trees from the hurricanes and the natural growth of the brush you could have a very volatile mix of fuel and any small fire would spread quickly. As our friend Colson spoke of in earlier posts, Disney doesnt throw their money around casually, if they are clearing its for a very good reason. I do know that Reedy creek is very good at fire prevention and I wouldnt doubt they have mandated some of the measures.

Scott

[Colson39]

That's why I always have an extra beer next to me, just in case a fire starts in front of me. No way I'm going to pour the beer I'm drinking on it ;)

Actually, negative on that. Make that an extra water next to me, no way I'm wasting a beer on a fire.

[Gatordad]

good thing you came to your senses... otherwise we would have taken all your beer away.

[Mr Man]

How about using expired refillable mugs (I have about 12 now) from other resorts to put out these fires. We can send DS6 in the golf cart to TE to get soda. Not sure how he will be able to carry all these mugs and smoke while doing donuts in the cart, but this can be solved.........

:cool1:

[ftwildernessguy]

That's why I always have an extra beer next to me, just in case a fire starts in front of me. No way I'm going to pour the beer I'm drinking on it ;)

Actually, negative on that. Make that an extra water next to me, no way I'm wasting a beer on a fire.

I have found that 6 or 8 beers, after they have been filtered through my kidneys, are very effective at extinguishing fires.

[Rhonda]

I have found that 6 or 8 beers, after they have been filtered through my kidneys, are very effective at extinguishing fires.

ewwwwwwwww! :scared:

[bigdisneydaddy]

good thing you came to your senses... otherwise we would have taken all your beer away.


I was going to take the moderate stance and put him on "beer probation" until he recovered and said he would use water.

Scott

[bigdisneydaddy]

ewwwwwwwww! :scared:


Its a guy thing Rhonda !

[LarryJ]

If anyone is interested I have pics in my gallery below of all our sites except one or maybe two since 1985 indicating the Site # and year.

http://www.wdwinfo.com/photopost/showgallery.php/cat/500/ppuser/155128

Larry

[ntsammy5]

I have found that 6 or 8 beers, after they have been filtered through my kidneys, are very effective at extinguishing fires.

From what I understand, 6 or 8 beers is just a good start......

[kimluvswdw]

I wish they would stop clearing out so much. I miss the way the sites were private and you couldn't see everything your neighbor does.

[ibm2010]

The trees and bushes are being cut to remove the potato vines. These vines are not native to Florida and the only way to rid the campground of these vines was to remove most if not all the vegetation. Once the project started they realized how much water was absorbed by the very plants they were removing. This is what has created all the recent standing water. To help keep the campground from becoming one big swamp, the company hire to complete the job began working in small areas in multiple locations instead of starting at one end and working straight through. Once the extraction is complete, Disney will replant all the areas with plants native to Florida. The project will not be completed until late next year or early 2009.

[JAM'S MOM]

If anyone is interested I have pics in my gallery below of all our sites except one or maybe two since 1985 indicating the Site # and year.

http://www.wdwinfo.com/photopost/showgallery.php/cat/500/ppuser/155128

Larry


These are great photos. We've been going there for years also with so many photos that I never thought about comparing the view from year to year. In my "spare time", I can start a new project.

[bigdisneydaddy]

The trees and bushes are being cut to remove the potato vines. These vines are not native to Florida and the only way to rid the campground of these vines was to remove most if not all the vegetation. Once the project started they realized how much water was absorbed by the very plants they were removing. This is what has created all the recent standing water. To help keep the campground from becoming one big swamp, the company hire to complete the job began working in small areas in multiple locations instead of starting at one end and working straight through. Once the extraction is complete, Disney will replant all the areas with plants native to Florida. The project will not be completed until late next year or early 2009.


I have seen standing water at the Fort for many years, well before they started clearing the areas. With the rain that FL gets at times it takes some time before it all runs off.

Scott

[des1954]

The trees and bushes are being cut to remove the potato vines. These vines are not native to Florida and the only way to rid the campground of these vines was to remove most if not all the vegetation. Once the project started they realized how much water was absorbed by the very plants they were removing. This is what has created all the recent standing water. To help keep the campground from becoming one big swamp, the company hire to complete the job began working in small areas in multiple locations instead of starting at one end and working straight through. Once the extraction is complete, Disney will replant all the areas with plants native to Florida. The project will not be completed until late next year or early 2009.


The "air potatoes" have been at the campground since it opened in 1971. They have made numerous attempts to remove them in the past, with no success. I doubt it will work this time, either.

As far as the standing water...Fort Wilderness is built on a swamp, and has always had standing water during the rainy season. The abundance of cypress trees is a dead giveaway as to the swamp. Cypress trees need to have "wet feet" to grow well. The standing water has nothing to do with the clearing of the campground - the water has always been there - you just couldn't see it through all the vegetation.

Disney clears out the vegetation from time to time to lessen the chance of wild fires. Rainfall in Florida has been below average since the 2004 hurricanes & the entire state has been under a burn ban (just recently lifted) since January of this year.

The current tree removal is a result of two things: (1) The 3 major hurricanes that hit the Fort in 2004 weakened a LOT of trees -and- (2) a lot of trees were just plain old and needed to come out. I would also like to think that they are making the sites easier to maneuver into. :rolleyes1 This is the "Year of a Million Dreams", isn't it??? :rolleyes:

[Mr Man]

I would also like to think that they are making the sites easier to maneuver into. :rolleyes1 This is the "Year of a Million Dreams", isn't it??? :rolleyes:


Hear Hear! We had a site in the 300's over Spring Break that I actually had to send my wife out to hold up a branch with a stick so we could manuever "The Behemoth into our site. Don't get me wrong....love the secluded feeling the overgrowth gave to the sites, but it felt like we were parking in a cave!