PORT TOWNSEND, Wash. — They tower over the entrance to Port Townsend, welcoming all who come.
One hundred and thirty poplar trees have served as a gateway to Port Townsend for as long as anyone can remember, but their days are likely numbered.
The trees are native to northern Italy.
No one is quite sure how they got to Port Townsend or who planted them over the last 60 or so years.
But those who love them know one thing.
"They're just beautiful," said Port Townsend resident Andrea Hegland, who runs a community group dedicated to saving the trees. "They're unique. There's really no other community where you drive in and see these majestic trees lining the streets."
The trees are coming into contact with high voltage power lines -- frying leaves -- but worse -- they're actually transmitting electricity through their roots and into the neighboring boat yard.
"We had a complaint from a boat yard attendant that he felt tingling in his body," said Eron Berg, Port of Port Townsend executive director. "Our environmental officer went out to investigate and he got the same thing. There was snapping and popping in his hair. We called PUD to investigate."
Some wonder, why not just trim the trees to keep them away from the powerlines. However, there is more to the story.
The neighboring boat yard provides 20% of the economic activity in all of Jefferson County.
It's pretty much operating at capacity and the port would like to see it expand to bring in even more money.
That would mean burying the powerlines, but still cutting down the trees.
"Every boat in the yard represents a bunch of jobs for the community," said Berg. "There isn't a way to save the trees, put the power underground and expand the boat yard to the port's property line where it meets the state highway."
Hegland acknowledges the importance of jobs and the boat yard. To her, though, it's a matter of what the people of Port Townsend truly value.
"These are the community's trees. They belong to all of us," she said.
As it stands now, the trees could come down as early as this fall, or as late as early 2023.
Hegland's group is working to raise money to take their battle to court.