Laurie Rollins and neighbours would like to see trees felled along a trail behind her property removed by the city.
The Hillcrest Heights trail runs behind Rollins鈥� 24th Street SE property. Stacked up along the steep embankment between the trail and the retaining wall at the rear of Rollins鈥� property are 15 trees felled by the city last fall.
鈥淲e鈥檙e basically looking at a log jam from our backyard,鈥� said Rollins. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a mess, it鈥檚 terrible and they鈥檙e not concerned and they鈥檙e not going to move it because they said there鈥檚 a directive from the Ministry of Forests that when trees have fallen, they would just leave them鈥� they said it won鈥檛 look terrible down the road. It will get back to natural.
鈥淲ell, down the road might mean in the meantime that we could have a fire back there.鈥�
Another concern of Rollins is that the felled and delimbed trees could roll into hers and/or her neighbours鈥� properties, including that of Greg Barron.
鈥淕reg questions whether the trees were pinned properly and whether it鈥檚 safe,鈥� said Rollins. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really steep behind their place, they鈥檝e got a five-year -old boy that lives with them and if any of those come rolling down into their yard 鈥� it鈥檚 ridiculous is what it is.鈥�
Barron shares Rollins鈥� concerns regarding the danger posed by the logs.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 dangerous,鈥� said Barron. 鈥淚 live right behind them and am concerned they鈥檙e going to roll down.鈥�
Rollins said she and her neighbours asked the city to cut down the trees 鈥渂ecause they were dead standing and with the winds, we were concerned with them falling on a house.鈥� This was confirmed via email by city roads and parks manager Darin Gerow. He explained the city followed up on multiple complaints received about the health of the trees by having them assessed by a certified arborist. It was determined by the arborist and a certified tree feller that the trees were an 鈥渋mminent danger to the neighboring properties.鈥�
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鈥淎fter felling of the trees, contractors removed all the fire hazard limbs within this area and left the large diameter logs pinned against existing stumps to prevent from any further movement,鈥� said Gerow, noting this decision was made based on a Ministry of Forests鈥� list of benefits downed logs provide as they decay. These include: provision of shelter for wildlife, creation of growing sites for plants and fungi, enrichment and stabilizing of soils, contributing to living ecosystems and reducing erosion by wind, rain and melting snow.
鈥淚n addition, operations staff have a new process of replanting trees where we are required to remove trees that have died,鈥� said Gerow. 鈥淭his internal procedure will have us replant at a determined ratio in and around the area that the trees were fallen and should be completed within a year of tree removals.鈥�
Regarding the stability of the pinned logs, Rollins said about a week ago she found people cutting some of the logs, presumably for firewood.
鈥淚 look outside and sure enough there鈥檚 four people up there and they鈥檝e got a chainsaw and two wheelbarrows and for two hours they took wood from there,鈥� said Rollins. 鈥淪o those trees that were in there鈥� if people keep cutting up that wood then it鈥檚 no longer going to be pinned behind these trees that they left stumps for.鈥�
Rollins said she reported what she saw to the city.
鈥淲e are aware of some unauthorized work taking place at this location,鈥� said Gerow, adding staff would investigate to ensure the unsanctioned work has not created any insecure or unsafe situations.
Rollins remains uncomfortable with the logs being left to deteriorate naturally, and questions why their removal would be any different from other FireSmart related efforts.
鈥淚 did see under 鈥揑 don鈥檛 know if it鈥檚 FireSmart or some other program 鈥� that there鈥檚 money available for this kind of stuff to help with making the area around your community safe, so why not use some of that money to get rid of this?鈥� asked Rollins.
