MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - At the location of the former Central Fire Station, Station 91, stands a grand old sugar maple tree. This tree is estimated to be 166 years old, and local resident Ryan Zimmerman believes that this tree should be saved.

Zimmerman sent a 10 page letter to Environmental Commissioner James Kielbaso outlining the various reasons the tree should not get destroyed.

Several of these reasons include the sugar maple's ability to control decay, the presence of increment strips (an area on a tree where bark has been stretched to accommodate new growth), and the importance of the tree's roots in preventing soil erosion.

"It's an old tree, and that makes it valuable for its history to Okemos," said Kielbaso. "It needs to be trimmed and fertilized, but so long as no significant damage is done during any construction, it should be able to be saved."

The tree is approximately 34 feet tall, and has a crown spread of about 65 feet.