I'm a YIMBY, so I think forcing developers to redo plans (and this has a non-trivial cost, much of it hidden and always downplayed by NIMBYs because the biggest

I'm a YIMBY, so I think forcing developers to redo plans (and this has a non-trivial cost, much of it hidden and always downplayed by NIMBYs because the biggest cost is time) because of a tree that isn't very old is pretty terrible, and none of your explanations are persuasive. It sounds ridiculous to me an ocean away. But on your last point, I am much more inclined to agree. Indigenous people are not a mere tree, and dealing with the whole imperialism/colonialism(/genocide?) thing is an entirely different level of ethical consideration. I'm way more hesitant about anything impacting actual people or reinforcing past stealing of indigenous land than I am about nostalgia about some tree or building.