Jack London’s mighty oak won’t be chopped

The centuries-old Sonoma County oak tree made famous for the shade and inspiration it provided writer Jack London is dying of a fungal disease. Arborists have deemed the end near, while schoolchildren and American Indians have bid final goodbyes.

But in what some are calling a holiday miracle, the oak was given an improved bill of health from a team of UC Berkeley researchers this month, and the tree has been spared its scheduled removal.

"We couldn't be more thrilled," said Tjiska Van Wyk, executive director of Jack London Park Partners, which manages the Jack London State Historic Park in Glen Ellen where the tree is located. "In the season of joy, we consider this a great gift."

Researchers with UC Berkeley's Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management reported that the base of the old oak is not experiencing the decay that its upper reaches are seeing.

Earlier this year, three arborists advised that the tree be felled as a safety precaution after noting dead branches and falling limbs. A storm late last year sent a 30-inch-diameter piece of wood through a fence, raising concerns that a park visitor could be hurt.

But after reviewing the comprehensive UC Berkeley report, park managers said the tree won't be removed anytime soon. Instead, they may simply do a little pruning and expand the area around the tree that's closed to the public.

The tree has another two to 10 years of healthy living, said Professor Matteo Garbelotto, who led the research team. He confirmed, though, that the presence of deadly fungi will ultimately be more than the 350- to 400-year-old tree can handle.

"We're not out of the woods. We're in a gray area where the risk needs to be assessed," Garbelotto said.

The 50-foot-tall tree, which has survived Sonoma Valley's historic logging efforts and its push for farmland, overshadows the rest of the oaks on the eastern slopes of Sonoma Mountain.

Coastal Miwok once collected acorns in the area, and American novelist London bought the acreage around the tree as a retreat from city living in 1905, according to E. Breck Parkman, senior archaeologist for California State Parks.

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Jack London's mighty oak won't be chopped