“Timber” was not among the choice words yelled Friday by a group of protesters as a bulldozer uprooted and pushed over the “Borders tree.”

Instead, obscenities were shouted, pictures were taken and at least one woman audibly wept as the tree that had become a Lawrence antidevelopment icon toppled.

The uprooting, watched by about 50 people and guarded by several police officers, took more than an hour, and at times it looked like the massive, branchless trunk would have to be cut down.

“Mother earth is more powerful than any machine you will ever create,” yelled Sihka, one of two women who had been living in the tree at Eighth and Rhode Island streets for the past several days.

Property owner Bo Harris, who earlier offered a guarantee not to cut the tree down until July 4, did not a return a phone call.

“He’s a liar,” said Josiah Legler, Lawrence.

But Harris’ attorney Mike Riling said Harris had only considered leaving the tree untouched.

“It was posing a bit of a hazard,” he said.

The standoff began March 18, the day workers cut limbs from the 200-year-old tree. That angered some who had seen the elm as a symbol against the corporatization of downtown Lawrence. Sihka climbed the tree during a vigil that night and vowed not to come down until she had guarantees the remains wouldn’t be destroyed.

But by late this week property owners were concerned about trespassing and liability, and Harris met with the protesters Friday afternoon.

During that meeting he explained some of the concessions he was willing to make, protesters said.

Harris added green space to development plans, but there will still be concrete where the tree stood, said Bryan Murray, a Virginia resident who extended a visit in Lawrence to save the tree and attend the meeting.

In a Thursday notice, the property owners indicated there would be a “pocket park” in the southeast corner of the future development.

Murray said he and others who set up camp at the base of the tree “moved too slow” in acting to save it.

“They had already done irreversible damage,” he said. “We definitely failed at saving the tree, but we definitely grabbed a lot of people’s attention.”

Earlier Friday, Aeon, the young woman who gave Sihka a break from tree life, descended to a gaggle of waiting police and firefighters.

“It’s been days since I’ve been down here,” she said as she reached earth.

But by the time she climbed down, most of the base campers had heeded the notice and left, leaving Aeon little choice but to follow suit.

“I’m really upset they’re cutting down the tree,” she said. “It’s still alive. It was budding while I was up there.”

Police Chief Ron Olin, who oversaw Aeon’s removal, said he was satisfied with the outcome.

“We’re very pleased we were able to work with everybody to a peaceful conclusion,” he said. “We don’t need any more conflict than we already have.”