One of the oldest trees on earth

An oak tree that stood here when saber-toothed tigers roamed the land still lives in California’s Jurupa Valley. But despite surviving the last ice age and adapting to a warming climate, the Jurupa oak could now be endangered by development, advocates fear. This week, the Jurupa Valley Planning Commission approved a development plan around the oak, which is believed to be between 13,000 and 18,000 years old, according to reports. digital video recorder.

• the tree: As the case may be Washington Post According to reports, the tree looks like “a cluster of bushes on a hillside in a rocky valley. But these bushes are actually the crown of a gigantic, sprawling oak, 90 feet high and 30 feet wide.” Most of it is underground. Los Angeles Times It is noted that it is one of the oldest living plants on Earth. You can see pictures of it in this link NBC News video.

• the plan: Richland Communities plans to build a 1.4-square-mile development in the city of 100,000. The project will include 1,700 homes, a business park and a public school.
• On the edge? Environmentalists warn that the measures developers have promised to protect the tree — a 250-foot sidewalk and at least 260 feet of machinery — aren’t enough. They say laying asphalt and concrete on the surrounding hills could disrupt the massive root system and create a “heat island” effect. They also worry about vibrations from the construction. “It could be enough to push this plant over the edge,” said Aaron Echols, who heads the area’s conservation group, ABC 7 reported.
• general opinion: During public comment, the planning commission received more than 100 letters opposing the development, and dozens showed up to discuss it (more than half of which were opposed). “We have discovered a treasure on the world stage, right here in our humble town,” said resident Jenny Eyre. “Is one of the oldest living things on the planet going to die just because Jurupa Valley has agreed to allow industrial and commercial development to be built next door?”
• Oldest living organisms: The Jurupa oak is considered the third or fourth oldest living organism on Earth, after the Tasmanian holly (43,000 years old) and the Utah quaking poplar (80,000 years old). Describing the tree for Eyewitness News in 2009, scientist Andrew Sanders said it was like “looking at what the world looked like in the Ice Age,” adding, “We don’t have to look at a fossil in this case; we can see living individuals.”
• What then: After the planning commission voted 4-1 in favor of the plan, the development plan still needs to be approved by the full city council before it can move forward.

(The largest Stegosaurus fossil ever found sold for $44.6 million.)