As Arbor Day comes to Redmond, trees have become a topic of growing community interest — with or without socks.

And it’s great that the City of Redmond will “celebrate the importance of trees and forest ecosystems” with an Arbor Day event at Farrel-McWhirter Park on April 11 so that residents can participate in tree preservation.

As Redmond’s park operations supervisor says, “Preserving our trees and forests is vital to maintaining our quality of life and working to build a better future” and that “taking care of our community forests demonstrates the city’s ongoing commitment to the preservation, protection and enrichment of our environment.” (Redmond Reporter, March 30, 2012)

There is, however a considerable contradiction between those environmental values and the city’s approved removal of more than 1,000 majestic evergreens during the redevelopment of the Group Health property in the Overlake neighborhood.

How can that decision be squared with the “Tree City USA” designation that was conferred on Redmond by the Arbor Day Foundation 12 years ago?

Caring for our trees and forests applies to Overlake Village as much as it does for Farrel-McWirter Park.

John Reinke, Redmond