Now, he says at least half of the 307 palms destroyed farther south to make way for the downtown light-rail segment known as Line Section 3 were healthy enough to be salvaged.

Metro?EUR??,,????'?????<

But Johnson says Metro and its contractors didn?EUR??,,????'?????<

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Metro officials say they sought input from the city, business groups and property owners before deciding last year to toss out the palm-salvage plan for Section 3 and replace the trees with younger, healthier palms and shade trees. The revised plan boosts Metro?EUR??,,????'?????<

The agency did consider Johnson?EUR??,,????'?????<

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Palm-tree enthusiasts say that the iconic trees convey a tropical look and feel and have played an integral role in Phoenix?EUR??,,????'?????<

Opponents argue that the trees attract pigeons, are expensive to maintain and provide little shade.