OLYMPIA, Wash. — Cal Anderson once again has a tree at the Washington state Capitol memorializing his service to the state.
Earlier this month, the state’s Department of Enterprise Services cut down a Kwanzan Cherry tree dedicated to Anderson, the state’s first openly gay state legislator.
Anderson died of complications of AIDS in 1995. That same year, the state planted a tree and placed a plaque on the Capitol campus to memorialize Anderson.
The tree honoring Anderson was deemed to be diseased and the state cut it down August.
“The tree was 90 percent dead and it posed a safety hazard,” said the agency’s spokesperson, Linda Kent.
The agency removed the tree without consulting state elected officials, something that upset Lt. Governor Denny Heck.
“I would like to have them pick up the damn phone,” said Heck, who worked with Anderson and considered him a friend.
Heck said, at the very least, the state should have contacted LGBTQ legislators before the tree was removed.
"This was a memorial and to unilaterally not just make the decision, but to implement it without any - what we call in this environment - stakeholder work; in other words, talking to folks, is to desecrate the site."
Kent said the state made a mistake.
"We really, really should have done a better job of reaching out to the stakeholders, communicating widely, and finding a replacement tree sooner," said Kent.
On Wednesday, Gov. Jay Inslee ordered the agency to plant a new tree in Anderson’s memory.
Early on Friday, a healthy, 16-foot cherry tree was planted at the same location.
Kent said the new tree will likely be removed because of future utility work.
Heck said he hopes the next location will become a larger memorial site for Anderson.
Anderson was elected to House of Representative in 1987. He later served in the state Senate. Before serving the state, Anderson earned two Bronze Stars for his military service in Vietnam.