The tree was 3 years old when it was planted right next to the post office in 1936. The Visit Visalia Organization says for safety the tree must be removed because it's been battling a fungus ...

More Clay Jordan, superintendent of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, speaks in front of General Sherman, the world’s largest tree, in Sequoia National Park, Calif. on Tuesday, May 21, 2024.

Arya Lofton, 2, of Ludington, plays near a young giant sequoia tree clone at Lake Bluff Farms in Manistee Township, Mich. About 15 clones have been planted on the property in recent years.

As a result, individual trees are often 1,000 to 3,000 years old, having survived many fires. But starting in the late 1800s, settlers began dousing lightning fires.

As an alternative, the owner is willing to fund a new sequoia in Green Lake if the city desires. Seattle’s 2023 tree ordinance allows large trees to be cut if they make it impossible to build.