Neighbors fight to save cottonwood trees at Albuquerque park

Maya Elrick and other Albuquerque residents want to protect giant cottonwood trees at a nearby park. Tree roots broke through the ground, creating a tripping risk that prompted a county safety review. People hope this issue will not cause officials to cut down the timber.

Little Cloud is a small park tucked away near Tramway and Paseo del Norte. The grounds include a playground shaded by the large trees.

“They provide so much shade and color in the Fall and the sound of the leaves is beautiful and they mask some of the sound of the traffic and we really love these trees,” said Elrick.

Elrick and Kobie Boslough live close by. Both watched the grove grow for over twenty years.

Elrick said the trees are 22 and a half years old. Neighbors carried buckets of water to feed the young seedlings without irrigation.

The roots are now surfacing. County staff are inspecting the area.

“Right now they’re assessing a safety situation,” said Bernalillo County spokesperson Tom Thorpe. “We have some roots that are coming to the surface and like every public facility, we need to asses the safety and what needs to be done to ensure safety for people who use the park.”

Neighbors contacted the county because they worried workers might cut down the grove. Boslough said the roots rise only a few inches.

“They don’t seem any more dangerous than a curb or granite boulders here in the grass are,” said Boslough.

County leaders said they hope tree removal remains unnecessary. Staff members are reviewing other choices to smooth the dirt across exposed roots.

“Some way to maybe cover them to make the ground smooth so it’s not a tripping hazard,” said Thorpe.

Neighbors stated they support that solution. Boslough noted the park would get very hot without shade.

Bernalillo County manages local parks, open spaces, and public facilities for Albuquerque area residents. County staff routinely assess park safety to protect visitors from tripping hazards.

Officials have not set a date to fix the grounds. The grove remains standing.