Elgin weeds out unsafe trees

Spring is here and in Elgin that means tending to the city's trees - all 49,000-plus of them.

Certified arborists recently completed an inventory and assessment of trees along Elgin city rights of way and in city-owned parks and golf courses.

Now, city officials are working with Davey Tree Experts to remove 381 trees that are diseased, rotting from the inside or that present a hazard, such as toppling into the street or onto a home.

"Ninety-nine percent of the time, (residents) just don't realize what the risk is. Then you show them and they say, 'Oh my gosh, that makes sense,'" said Brian Borkowicz, Davey district manager.

"We're not arbitrarily taking trees down. We have to take them down for a reason."

Efforts to remove trees began this week and will continue through mid-April. Then, pruning of other trees will begin, as well as planting replacement trees.

Jim Bell, the city's superintendent of parks, added the city has notified residents of the city's plans via door hangers.

"We're trying to match the best tree to the best site conditions," he said. "In the long term, that will give them a healthier tree."

Last fall, the city signed a $303,900 contract with Davey, an Ohio-based group with offices in the suburbs, to complete an inventory and management plan for city-owned trees.

The firm cataloged 49,000 existing trees and identified 12,000 spots on city property where trees could eventually be planted.

The effort did not include trees on private property.

Bell said there are 159 different tree species on public land, with maples the most common.

City council members will review the full Davey report on March 31, but one highlight from it is that only about 10 percent of Elgin's public trees are ash trees, making the city less susceptible to the emerald ash borer.

Many communities have 20 to 25 percent ash trees, Borkowicz said.

"Elgin has a relatively young tree population," he said. "It has a tremendous opportunity for tree planting. There is a huge amount of open space for tree planting."

Davey also landed a $1.8 million grant to partner with Elgin.

In the next year, Davey will help develop a risk-reduction plan to remove old trees and prune existing ones, launch a tree-planting campaign and create an invasive species readiness plan.

The funding comes from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Forest Service as part of the federal stimulus plan, and is also designed to create private sector jobs.

Elgin city spokeswoman Sue Olafson said if residents have concerns about a tree designated for removal, they can call the city and Bell will give his opinion.

"We want to work with the community," Olafson said. "We're not looking to unilaterally chop down trees."