Central Park – A 160-year-old tree at the Tavern on the Green in Central Park has to be cut down after it was infected with a deadly disease.

Jeff, who works in Central Park, knows a thing or two about the tree.

“It looks very green. The leaves are all green. It doesn’t look dead. It looks very healthy. Provides a lot of shade,” said one visitor to Central Park.

The tree has to be felled because it is infected with Dutch elm disease.

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The Central Park Conservation Department plans to completely remove everything after an inspection.

In fact, 30 elms are lost each year in Central Park due to Dutch elm disease.

“It’s really sad. We didn’t know it was dying until the assessor came by and checked it, and then we kind of missed the chance to heal it and leave it there,” Jeff said.

“If it doesn’t, we’re going to run away. We’re going to lose every elm in Central Park, and that’s still a significant number of elms. They’re all cautious. You know you can take care of a tree, but at a certain point it tries to turn left. And those trees. That’s over,” said Evan Dackow of Jolly Green Tree.

“If it would harm the rest of the surrounding nature, that would be your best option and a wise decision,” said another park visitor.