The Department of Transportation has suspended tree cutting along the H2 freeway, until the Outdoor Circle gets to look at the project.

The tree-cutting began last month along the H-2 freeway near Mililani. Outdoor Circle representatives said they were never consulted about the project.

"The department of transportation began its activities up there without consulting with us or the community. Just basically said, these trees are a danger and they need to be removed," said Bob Loy, from The Outdoor Circle.

In fact, one of the trees had fallen causing extensive damage to an emergency call box alongside the freeway. Loy concedes the Albesia trees may not be the best plants for this particular landscape - still...

"We asked that they suspend those activities until we had an opportunity to inspect the site, look at the trees with our own certified independent arborist and make a determination as to which trees in fact do pose a threat and which ones perhaps do not pose a threat," said Loy.

State Department of transportation spokesman Scott Ishikawa said Monday morning that, in fact, such an inspection WILL take place with an Outdoor Circle representative, probably before the week is out. There are about 25 Albesia trees remaining along the freeway.

"If it can be pruned instead of removed, we think that's a better option, too. So all these things need to be explored and I think the DOT now recognizes that those issues probably should have been discussed previously and moving forward, we're going to be doing that," said Loy.

The department of transportation has a long-range plan for the H-2 landscape that includes planting of native trees. That came as good news to the Outdoor Circle.

"One of the things that came out of the meeting today is - we want to see a full re-planting plan that would include what trees are going where and when and where the trees are coming from and where the money to pay for those trees is coming from," said Loy.

The state DOT and the Outdoor Circle will be conferring on similar projects on the H-3, Pali and Likelike Highways.