The White Bear Lake City Council and Mayor have proposed adding fifteen additional parking spots to a lot that is hardly used, by taking down four bur oak trees that have been around since before the creation of the city of White Bear. These trees represent a large portion of our cultural and city history.  Removing these trees would run counter to the identity of White Beard Lake, a city that values its history. The destruction of these trees would erase a part of our history as a city and harm the ecosystem of white bear for the addition of fifteen parking spaces. It will cost roughly $1.7 million in tax payer dollars for the construction (via White Bear Press, Vol. 130, #24, pg. 7). Additionally, two of the surrounding lots will be shut down during construction (from August through November) if this destruction is allowed to happen. The city claims they will plant new trees to replace the ones taken down but entirely ignore the historic value of the current trees. It would take centuries for the new trees to reach the value the current trees hold today.