Surroundings of Notre-Dame. The fake news of the Paris City Hall (2): the remarkable tree cut down

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We have changed the title of our second article on the Paris City Hall fake news somewhat, as we could not find a quote from Emmanuel Grégoire saying that no trees would be cut down for the Notre-Dame project. No doubt he would have said so if the journalist from the Journal du Dimanche (see article) had asked the question. Nevertheless, this is the speech of Paris City Hall, and Ariel Weil, the mayor of Paris Centre, usually more cautious, confirmed it in a tweet of 13 September 2022: no trees will be cut down!
This is not true. There are plans to cut down a remarkable tree, which is not really in line with the "reinforcement of vegetation" announced by Emmanuel Grégoire. Because that is what we can see in the file that will be presented to the CNPA (National Commission for Heritage and Architecture) for validation.


1. The tamarisk tree in Jean XXIII Square (May 2023)
Photo: Didier Rykner
See the image in its page

Of course, it is never written in black and white. The City Council prefers to pass over in silence the presence on the site of three of the "remarkable trees" among the 191 that benefit from this designation in Paris. They are never mentioned in the file presented to the CNPA. Two of them are probably not threatened: a Byzantine hazel tree, to the north of the garden near the rue du Cloître-Notre-Dame, and an elm, to the south, along the quay. The third, on the other hand, a tamarisk (or tamarix), which can be easily admired today in the axis of the cathedral (ill. 1), next to a large hornbeam, when one passes by the Quai de l’Archevêché (the street between the two gardens), curiously no longer appears on any of the documents, plans or aerial views [1]. It is enough to compare the existing (ill. 2) with what is presented (ill. 3 and 4). The hornbeam is still there, moreover described in the document as "remarkable multi-trunk hornbeam", but the tamarisk is no more present.


2. Aerial view of John XXIII Square in 2014.
In white, the hornbeam, in blue, the tamarisk, in red, the recently cut tree
Photo: Google Earth
See the image in its page

3. Aerial view of the project as published in the dossier for the CNPA
In white, the hornbeam, in blue, the location of the disappeared tamarisk, in red the cut tree which has reappeared
(perhaps a new subject)
See the image in its page
4. Plan of the project as published in the dossier for the CNPA
In white, the hornbeam, in blue, the location of the disappeared tamarisk, in red the cut tree which has reappeared
(perhaps a new subject)
See the image in its page

Nothing is easier than making a tree disappear. One day it is there, the next day it is not. You can always claim that it was sick, but no one can check anymore. The Paris City Council is the champion in this field, let’s remember the wisteria of Montmartre. 
Moreover, if on these plans and maps we can still see a tree that was still there a year ago, we can see that it has already been cut down (ill. 5 and 6). Why? We will not know, and whatever explanation we are given will be questionable.


5. Stump of a recently cut tree
Photo: Didier Rykner
See the image in its page
6. Recently cut tree
as seen in 2009
Photo: Google Streets
See the image in its page

One may wonder why this discrete removal of a remarkable tree. Knowing that the axis of the cathedral is a term that often comes up in their reflections, perhaps we should conclude that they consider that this tree, which has the characteristic of spreading out in width, hinders the view? Or that it hinders the movement of visitors?


7. The project as seen on the video released by Emmanuel Grégoire. The hornbeam stands alone, allowing the creation of an esplanade in front of the lawn.
Was the tamarisk in the way? We remove it. It is only a "remarkable tree", after all!
See the image in its page

The explanation can be found in the project’s demonstration video, tweeted by Emmanuel Grégoire as recently as April 26. We can clearly see at 1’ 11" (ill. 7) the vision they want to give of the square: a beautiful symmetry around the hornbeam, moreover set in a circle of stone or concrete where one can sit... The tamarisk is clearly in the way, as was the other tree which has already disappeared.
When they say that no trees will be cut down, they are lying. The ones they say they want to plant will never replace those they threaten to remove.

But should we believe them about all the trees they promise to plant in the project as shown on the documents? A Twitter feed from @JCQDSE, a Parisian who is very active on the social network in denouncing the lies of the mayor’s office, makes us doubt it very seriously. We refer you to him - you have to read him - and we summarise here his demonstration, which we will probably have the opportunity to come back to.


8. Recent aerial view of the parvis
Photo: Google Maps
See the image in its page
9. Aerial view of the project, where large trees miraculously grow above the slabs of the car park and the archaeological crypt
See the image in its page

Most of the trees planted on the forecourt will be planted on a slab, above the underground car park that is to be transformed into a "vestibule" (see this article). This can be seen very easily on the plans (ill. 8 and 9). But what kind of trees can grow in a vacuum, when the layer of soil that can be placed there is only about 2 metres? Certainly not large trees, as we are led to believe in the diagrams or in the prose that accompanies them. This is what the town hall has found out the hard way since it promised us "urban forests" everywhere, especially over... car parks, like on the Place de l’Hôtel de Ville. This is what Emmanuel Grégoire tweeted - who for once was saying the right thing - when he explained in a tweet about the Place de la Bastille that "you don’t grow trees on empty space or networks"!

Similarly, when you look closely at the trees planted in Square Jean XXIII and if you take the figures given in this article by Tangui Le Dantec (a true ecologist, who relies on scientific facts), i.e. for a tree to be planted properly, you need an area of about 28 m2 and a spacing between each trunk of at least 6 m, what they are planning cannot work. We are therefore witnessing a classic "greenwashing" operation: promising us trees that cannot be planted, while cutting down a remarkable tree. Nothing surprising for those who know the practices of this town hall.

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