Bare stumps remain in the cemetery in Fjaler – the municipality felled a tree by mistake – NRK Vestland

The visitors reacted with shock and disbelief when they came to the historic burial ground at Fredensborg in Fjaler on Tuesday 30 April.

Someone had cut down the large trees that surrounded the entrance.

– It was once the finest place in Fjaler, but after what has happened I can’t bear to go up there anymore, says Håkon Eikerol.

Together with his wife, he has overseen the cemetery for years.

– This is so sad that I can neither talk about it anymore nor think about it, says Eikerol.

Probably a misunderstanding

In the municipality, mayor Leif Jarle Espedal has a great understanding of people’s reactions.

– Several people have contacted me directly. Both local people and people connected to the place. They wonder what actually happened, and want an explanation. There are several people who think it is sad that the tree was taken.

It was the newspaper Firda that first mentioned the case.

According to the mayor, it was all due to a misunderstanding in connection with the fact that a tree in the churchyard which was in bad shape, and where the roots also created a problem, was to be felled.

– We had an order to take a tree inside the cemetery. Elsewhere, a mistake happened, says Espedal.

As a result, two large trees that stood on the outside of the churchyard, on either side of the entrance gate, also disappeared. But when asked how one tree could have become three, the mayor does not wish to comment any further on how this misunderstanding could have arisen.

Unfortunate

In FjalSogelag think what has happened in the tree felling case is unfortunate. They note that the mayor says it is probably due to a misunderstanding.

– We hope and believe that Fjaler municipality looks at its routines in connection with measures related to cultural heritage, writes Tarjei Nitter, who is the leader of the nursing team, in an SMS to NRK

Beyond that, they have no comments on the case.

Extra broken in the anniversary year

This year marks 200 years since the coroner Nils Landmark received royal permission to create a burial place for his family.

– I have to admit that I think it was a bit rude that one should get this right now when we are about to celebrate an anniversary. But … In any case, Fredensborg and the cemetery are an incredibly great cultural environment, says Espedal.

Although many have reacted to tree felling and think it is sad, the municipality has also received positive feedback according to the mayor.

– We have received feedback from people who have been up and seen, and who think it has become bright and pleasant.

The municipality is now discussing what to do and whether to plant new trees.

– We are having a discussion. In any case, we want to clean up and make it nice. But exactly what we are going to do, we must return to that.

Trefelling has turned out to be not so easy in Fjaler. In November last year, there were strong reactions when the municipality felled the Christmas tree in Dale, just before the Christmas lights were to be lit

– No, we have improvement potential there, agrees mayor Leif Jarle Espedal.