A woman who chained herself to an ancient maple tree in downtown Duncan is refusing to leave until officials pledge to let it stand – even though they say the tree is rotten and has to go.

Seairra Courtemanche took up residence in the ancient tree at the Island Savings Centre parking lot sometime Monday night.

She says she will do whatever it takes to stop the Cowichan Valley Regional District from cutting the tree down to make way for a repaved parking lot, including going on a hunger strike until the CVRD pledges to put away the chainsaws.

“I have deep love in my heart for this tree,” Courtemanche said Tuesday. “When you take away this tree, you’re taking away a memory of a way of being, of something that the earth creates.”

Other tree lovers have rallied around her, saying the CVRD doesn’t have the authority to remove what they claim is a thousand-year-old tree.

“This does not belong to them. It does not belong to an elected official. It belongs to all the people,” said John Henry.

Others said they were standing by Courtemanche for sentimental reasons, including one man who has a fond memory of meeting his wife there.

“I don’t care if I have to sit in this tree for the rest of my damn life,” Joseph Duffey said. “My son’s going to find his wife here same as I found mine.”

But officials say the tree is dangerously at risk of failing and wants to remove it along with other trees in the lot to improve the Island Savings Centre parking lot.

“We have an opportunity to plant more trees than we take down and I think that’s what we have to do as part of greening up the parking lot,” said CVRD Chair Jon Lefebure. “It is reaching a moderate to high risk of failing and possibly harming someone.”

They say a bulge on one side of the tree is indicative that the entire trunk may come down, as well as branches, posing a serious safety risk to the protesters.

But Courtemanche said she won’t yield to the district until she’s assured the tree will remain protected.

“I’ll stay up here until they recognize our request,” she said.

CVRD staff haven’t confirmed whether or not they’ll seek an injunction to have the protesters removed.

The lot surrounding the tree was closed off to the public as upgrades got underway Tuesday.