Last September and October, the Borough prioritized the removal of “unsafe and hazardous” trees resulting from the tornado, based on what FEMA would cover through emergency funds. Unfortunately, there is no reimbursement from FEMA for tree removal other than for imminent safety reasons, so we were unable to remove all damaged trees at that time.
Starting this fall we will begin a multi-year project that is funded through the Borough to remove the remaining non-viable, tornado-damaged trees in the clear zone (e.g., area between the sidewalk and the street).
The Borough is working with the Shade Tree Commission and the Wenonah Planting Fund to begin removing some of the tornado-damaged trees. At this time, the plan includes:
- Working in single or multi-day increments, anticipated starting the week of September 12th through November, for a total of six days across that time period.
- Focusing on trees in a two or three block area for each workday, then moving to the next tornado-impacted area on subsequent days
- Removing tornado-damaged trees by cutting them down close to ground level
As the days are scheduled based on contractor availability and weather forecast, we will notify residents in specific locations as their areas are planned.
Funds for this calendar year will support six days of work. Additional tornado-damaged tree removal in 2023 will be based on available funding. If you prefer to remove a tornado-damaged tree in the clear zone at your own cost and convenience, please first contact Gary Odenbrett, chair of the Shade Tree Commission at gnoden@comcast.net or call 856-468-2627. Please note, healthy trees in the clear zone may not be removed.
If you have any questions, please contact the Borough office at 856-468-5228.
