Officials in Texas are spending just under $1 million to move a centuries-old oak tree as part of a road widening project.
The total cost to relocate the Old Stagecoach Heritage Oak Tree, which measures 51 inches in diameter, is about $932,800, according to the city of Kyle. NBC affiliate KXAS reported that the tree, whose fate was uncertain until earlier this year, is roughly 400 years old and widely known as “Jolene.”
“The tree is older than the United States,” local protester Casey Landers said in January, according to the station. “We need to preserve it.”
City officials noted in a statement that the tree’s future “has been a topic of discussion since 2020 when staff began evaluating roadway improvements that were later approved by voters.”
The tree currently sits within 6 inches of the road’s pavement. Officials said they “explored multiple options,” including “removing the tree and preserving the wood for an art project, relocating the tree, and realigning the Old Stagecoach Road Project around the tree.”
A Change.org petition to save the tree has gathered more than 2,000 signatures.
“I have lived in Kyle for 25 years and that tree has been a HISTORIC part of our town. That tree has been here long before us, it deserves to be protected and preserved to last a LONG time after us,” a Kyle resident named Sam wrote in support of the petition.
But in February, city council members voted to proceed with moving the tree, according to NBC affiliate KXAN.
The tree will be transplanted a quarter-mile north to a new area that will be turned into a “parklet” or pocket park, city officials said. The site was selected because of “its proximity to the tree’s current location and its matching soil profile.”
According to the city’s timeline, relocation is scheduled for this fall, with post-relocation care planned from 2025 to 2027 to help the tree survive. A Kyle city official did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for additional information.
“Although relocation does not guarantee survival according to multiple contracted studies done on behalf of the City of Kyle by certified arborists, the city is committed to the long-term maintenance efforts needed to give the live oak its best chance,” city officials said online.