Eastern Red Cedar tree – Killed Unlawfully!
This beautiful Eastern Red Cedar tree (Juniperus virginiana) was well over 100 years old (estimated from it’s size – and as identified by The Clemson University’s Plant and Pest Diagnostic Clinic). For as long as anybody knows, it had been on the land belonging to Ms. Josephine Driessen, long before she subdivided the land to create the ‘Bradley Circle’ neighborhood. A 12-foot strip of land remained in between houses, as a walkway for getting to the beach. She sold easements to a few properties, and yet many neighbors simply assumed that this beach-access right-of-way was for everyone to use freely.
However, unlike the nearby Driessen Beach Park’s ‘public’ beach-access walkway (which had historically served as the “neighborhood beach-access”); this walkway is ‘private’. Some neighbors refuse to accept that it is a ‘private’ beach-access, or that most properties do not have a legal recorded easement allowing for it’s use (nor is there any neighborhood entity such as an HOA with easement rights).
In May of 2023, the Town of HHI blocked the public access-gate to Driessen Beach Park. The primary justification used to block the park’s pedestrian access, was an assumption that every property had the right to use this alternate ‘private’ beach access. After three years, these individuals are committed to this narrative, and attempting to exert greater control of this private land that does not belong to them. As part of that effort, in November of 2025, someone took it upon themselves to destroy this ancient tree.
In early 2026, I asked the Town’s Tree Protection Officials to begin an investigation into who was responsible for destroying this ancient Eastern Red Cedar tree so close to the ocean located on the ‘private’ walkway land. To date, that investigation has apparently yielded no enforcement action – although they were provided the names of the person’s hired to do the work (names which Town officials have acknowledged as being accurate). It appears to have been an effort by one or more neighbors to exert control over this private walkway – which they desire to claim as their own. To the observer, this looks like an attempt to usurp private land for public use.
Despite the Town having the power of licensing, and thus the power to demand answers, this is where the investigation appears to have ceased. After several months, it seems that the Town is choosing to look the other way – even though this is the worst sort of tree offense. Taking a rare, healthy and historic (100+ year old) Eastern Red Cedar tree, from another family’s private land, without permission or a permit. This land belongs to the same family that created the entire 11 acre subdivision and provided another 11 acres of land for neighborhood park- land that was in their family for nearly 100 years). The tree deserves justice, as does this important island family.
This protected tree species is considered to be a rare ‘specimen’ tree at only 8 inches diameter. This particular tree was closer to 24 inches diameter! A giant Eastern Red Cedar tree, surviving so close to the sea, is highly uncommon. In fact, we see far more Live Oak trees near the ocean then trees like this one. But some person or persons apparently decided that they wanted it gone, without concern for the tree, the landowner or any person but themselves. Since a natural resources permit would not be possible for removing such a tree (as it is a protected species and a permit could only have been obtained by the owner of the land) – someone apparently decided to destroy the tree, and keep it a secret. If this Town knows who did it, they too are keeping it a secret.
For those who know something about this tree species, other than their incredible beauty and extreme longevity… they know just how much food and shelter these trees offer to visiting birds and other wildlife. So nevermind nature – or that it took many generations to grow so large – or that it was extremely beautiful and was not hurting anything. Apparently one or more people simply sought to impose their will onto this lovely ‘specimen’ Eastern Red Cedar tree – to decide to ignore the (supposedly) strict rules (recently bolstered in the LMO) and sentence this lovely ancient tree to it’s death.
Besides imposing ‘mitigation’, nothing can be done after the fact (other than the town taking action to impose citations on those responsible, which they have yet to do). So this is extremely sad… not only for myself and everyone who enjoyed it’s great beauty on this walkway – plus the amazing shade it offered on an otherwise sundrenched beach walkway – but the migrating birds and other wildlife that found it a source of life! My sincere thanks to this tree for it’s many amazing years of presence! I’m truly sorry that I could not protect you from those with malicious intent. However, please rest assured that I will be planting more of your kind. My favorite tree…the Eastern Red Cedar – Juniper Virginiana.
