The felling of the poplars was discussed at the Lawrence-Tuapeka Community Board's meeting on Wednesday.
''I've had quite a few negative comments, but you only have to look at the middle [of a tree] to see how rotten they are,'' member Rowena Paterson said.
She said she would like to see some poplars kept or replanted there, as was it was a feature of the entrance to the township.
Lawrence-Tuapeka ward councillor Geoff Blackmore said some silver birches remained at the picnic area, but the board had made a start and needed to move forward.
In January the board supported a recommendation that the remaining poplars be felled and the area replanted with a different species of tree.
A report by Clutha District Council staff said in 2009 the council's consulting arborist David Glenn identified poplar trees in the Lawrence Picnic Reserve to be removed due to decay in the base of the trunks.
Mr Glenn hoped at that time that the remaining large poplars could be saved, but a re-inspection in December revealed the trees were decaying.
In a letter to the council in December, Mr Glenn said the last two poplars had fallen because decay in the base of trunk had weakened them. He said initial inspections several years ago identified the problem, and the tops of the trees had been trimmed.
The two fallen trees had decayed to such an extent that they fell under ''modest weather conditions''.
Two fungi caused the decay - armalleria or honey fungus (a root rot fungus) and a ganoderma (heartwood decay fungus). Mr Glenn said the honey fungus caused more vigorous decay than the ganoderma and was probably the principal reason for the trees' failure. He advocated the council consider felling the group of poplars as he could not be certain how far the honey fungus had spread. It is expected the area will be replanted with a different species of tree not susceptible to the fungus.
