City Planting Four “Demo” Trees In 1700 Block Of Colby

These trees are reaching the end of their life and have been damaging the roads and sidewalks in the area.

Four “demo” trees will be planted in this portion of the 1700 block of Colby this week.

This Wednesday and Thursday (March 1st and 2nd) Colby will be shut down in the 1700 and 1800 blocks as crews plant “demo” trees to give residents and those who travel through the area a look at what will replace the aging trees currently in that part of Colby.

Four trees will be planted on the south half of the median on 17th and will include a Fagus Sylvatica, Beech, two Ulmus Americana ‘Jefferson’, Jefferson Elm, and a Quercus Ellipsoidalis, Northern Pin Oak.

Eventually more than sixty trees will be replaced but it won’t happen all at once. Here’s an explanation of the process from the City’s Colby Trees Project website.

Eventually, all trees in the Colby strip will need to be replaced and replanted with a species that is more appropriate for the median. While removing all the trees at once may be less expensive ultimately, Parks feels taking all the trees down at once would be a significant and abrupt change in aesthetic appearance. Park’s funding is limited, and the removal and replanting process will likely happen over the next decade, as funding and project management time is available. Parks would like to acknowledge that public support for this project is mixed, with as many people wanting the trees to be preserved as removed. Parks has established parameters to assist with decision making process moving forward. For example, for a ½ block remediation, the following parameters where presented:

Once a block has 120 feet or more with no trees standing; or When 3 or fewer trees are remaining on a ½ block, and one of the trees has a risk rating above low, or a tree condition rating below fair, or the Park Arborist has determined one tree is in steady decline; and Parks has the money to perform the work; then Community outreach will begin around tree, stump and root removal, remediation of soils and replanting of new trees for that ½ block.

You can click here to visit the Colby Trees Project webpage.