The trees were due for the chop as part of upgrades to the Cesvaine-Velēna regional road but local residents are pleading for the fruit trees to be spared and have sent letters to both Latvian state roads, which is in charge of the roadworks, and even to President Rinkēvičs, asking for him to intervene on behalf of the roadside orchard. Signs have been affixed to the threatened trees pleading "Don't cut!" and "Let there be apple trees!"
Local resident Māris Raģelis says the plan to dispose of the trees was only discovered by accident.
"The road workers marked the apple trees, I was interested – why are you marking them? They say – these apple trees will be cut down. We are glad that the road is being repaired, but suddenly all 25 apple trees will be cut down."
The road workers explained that the apple trees' continued existence would interfere with the restoration of the gutters.
"They argued that the apples fall into the ditch, the drainage system is blocked, then the roots will damage the new surface. We understand that those apple trees have lived [for a long time], but the question is – if one branch disturbs the excavator, should we cut down the apple trees?" Maris expressed confusion. "During my childhood, they were planted, cared for by my parents and brother, always held in honor!"
Writer Laima Kota, whose country house is in Tirza parish, confirmed that locals' attachment to their trees is deep-rooted.
"People are worried that their ancestors, who have lived here, have planted these apple trees themselves in their fathers' houses, that these apple trees are being destroyed. They no longer see only apple trees here, they already see grandfathers, they see ancestors."
Alda Alberte, the head of the Tirza Culture House, has also sent a letter to the President with a request to help preserve the typical landscape of Tirza.
"Everyone who drives through Tirza is happy about these apple trees. I don't know much about these technical projects, calculations, about the road and safety regulations, but I see that the apple trees are quite far from the road, and the works can be done in different ways. You can also do it so that the apple trees are not touched, besides this is a road of local importance, where there is a speed limit of 50 kilometers per hour," said Alberte.
According to Latvian Radio, the residents of Tirza are by no means against the much-needed road repair, but they cannot understand why the plan to cut down the apple trees was not made clear to them.
Nils Treijs, chairman of the board of the Tirza Development Society, emphasized that it would be important to seek a compromise in this situation:
"We can clearly see from this point that those apple trees are far enough away. There is a natural fall that makes it easy to create ditches. They don't need to be built deep down, there's every chance to save those apple trees. Our main focus is for them to just talk to us so we can understand why, what's going on," explained Treijs.
Signatures are now being collected in Tirza for the defense of the apples, and for the time being at least, the apple trees have won a stay of execution.
"At the moment we are waiting for the official answer. We hope that together with them, with the customer, with the builder, we will go through it and see which [apple trees] really have to be cut down," said Treijs.
Asked to comment on the situation, Latvian State Roads confirmed to Latvian Radio that in connection with residents' objections, the works will be carried out without cutting down the apple trees.
Ditch cleaning will take place according to the project though it should be expected that the roots of apple trees may be damaged during these works.
In the reply letter, however, it is also pointed out that several apple trees have been planted quite recently and that the road manager has the right to remove such vegetation.
