plant in the ground. Any buds that flourish will be distributed to historically significant sites throughout the Mid Hudson Valley. As the headline of the next edition of The Sentinel proclaimed, "Balmville Tree's Longevity Could be Passed on to Descendents". The only people to have successfully propagated a cutting from the Balmville Tree are Richard and Emoke Severo, who live next door to the tree. Of the four attempts the Severos made, after taking cuttings in 1999, the tricentennial of the Balmville Tree, only one survived which they credit to the cutting sharing the same water and soil as the original tree. On August 5, 2015 the tree was cut down and removed by the New York State Department of Environmental Protection, which cited safety concerns. For several weeks prior to the removal, the surrounding roads were closed to traffic due to the rapid deterioration of the tree, including the danger of falling limbs. Residents did not protest, but nevertheless lamented the tree's end. "There is no Balmville without the Balmville Tree," one told a local newspaper. A stump remains. It is still a protected area; residents are planning to rededicate it. Many also took cuttings and will plant them in the hope of carrying on the tree genetically. Measurements At the time of its removal it was 25 feet (7.6 m) in circumference at its base, and 83 feet (25 m) high. It once reached as high as 110 feet (33. 5 m), but its crown had to be trimmed after extensive damage from Hurricane Floyd in 1999. See also List of individual trees National Register of Historic Places in Orange County, New York References External links Balmville at newburghrevealed.org Individual trees in New York (state) National Register of Historic Places in Orange County, New York New York (state) historic sites Newburgh, New York Trees of the Great Lakes region (North America) 2010s individual tree deaths Buildings and structures in Newburgh, New York