City begins removing dangerous trees, limbs

The city’s Public Works foresters, in accordance with Federal Emergency Management Agency guidelines, are determining which trees or limbs pose a danger to citizens. Hazardous trees will be marked with orange paint.

Trees that lean at least 30 degrees or have a crown that is more than 50 percent destroyed will be cut down to ground level. Limbs that are larger than 2 inches in diameter will be trimmed.

DRC will not remove trees from private property; however, if a tree on private property has a dangerous limb hanging over public property, it will be cut.

DRC will not remove stumps – Public Works will return later to remove them.

The city estimates between 1,500 and 2,000 trees will need to be removed, or about 10 percent of Springfield’s public street tree stock.

Also related to Springfield’s ice-storm debris removal, residents are asked not to park their cars on streets in front of debris piles. DRC has been unable to remove debris on several occasions because cars are blocking it.