CAL POLY - Cal Poly may not cut down its almost century-old Founders Tree after all.

When plans to extend California Boulevard through campus were announced earlier this week, Cal Poly spokeswoman Leah Kolt said the tree would be cut down and that another would probably be identified as the Founders Tree.

That brought a letter from the Environmental Center of San Luis Obispo County to Cal Poly President Warren Baker requesting that the university reconsider removing the tree and that the tree remain protected.

"We ask that you not only protect the tree from being felled," the letter reads, "but also that you ensure safeguards in the road construction process to prevent damage to the roots of the valley oak."

Larry Kelley, Cal Poly's vice president for administration and finance, said Thursday there are two main plans undergoing review for the extension, which would create a major north-south route through the Cal Poly campus.

One plan would preserve the valley oak planted in 1906 by the first graduating class, and the other would involve removing the tree, Kelley said.

Kelley said the two plans have been on the books since the beginning of discussions, and they are both considered options.

"The importance of saving the Founders Tree had been foremost in our minds throughout the discussions," he said.

Although the tree will not directly affect the new roadway, it will have an impact on parking and safety, Kelley said. Keeping the tree means less parking than if the tree was removed and possible safety concerns at the entrance to the parking lot.

Southbound traffic would have to make a turn of greater than 90 degrees to get into the lot, he said.

Removing the tree would mean additional parking spaces and safer traffic flow.

Although no decision has been made about which plan to use, Kelley said the choice would not affect the construction start date, which he expected to be in several weeks.

If the decision is made to keep the tree, it will be protected during construction and will continue to be identified as the Founders Tree, Kelley said.