Four Years Of Cutting Down Dead And Dying Trees
Calaveras County, CA — For the past four years, Calaveras County has been removing dead and dying trees that threaten county-maintained roads and infrastructure and the traveling public — and this may be the last chance to get it done for free.
To date, the county has completed 40 projects, removing over 10,000 trees. Currently, there are two ongoing projects, one in the Dorrington area of Big Trees Village and one in the Arnold area. expected to be completed by the end of the month. In the next two weeks, a new project located in the area between West Point and Mokelumne Hill will begin. That project includes 145 hazardous trees, of which forty-five are on Bureau of Land Management parcels. Property owners that received a right of entry form, did so because a hazard tree was located on their property. Landowners are encouraged to return right of entry forms to allow the county to remove hazardous trees located on their property free of charge.
“This may be their last opportunity to participate in this free program,” stressed county officials, who added, “Contractors remove all trees and debris associated with removal unless removal would result in unacceptable environmental damage. All contractors are fully licensed and insured, and all work is supervised by registered professional foresters. ”
The program is only for the removal of dead or clearly dying trees that, if fallen, could hit a county-maintained road. According to county officials, it does not cover trees that are hazardous to PG&E power lines or trees that are in the interior of parcels and cannot reach a road. The program is funded through the California Disaster Assistance Act, and county officials say results in a relatively limited cost to the County. Further questions regarding the program and right of entry forms should contact the County’s Tree Mortality Program Manager, Dr. Richard Harris, to obtain another copy. He can be reached at (707) 685-5508 or rrharrisconsulting@gmail.com or click here.
