City Approved for State Grant to Remove Dead & Diseased Trees
Crews will begin removing dead and diseased trees in north Rapid City under a state grant awarded to the City of Rapid City. (City File Photo of diseased trees removed in Jackson Park)
CITY APPROVED FOR STATE GRANT TO REMOVE DEAD & DISEASED TREES
**Contractors to focus on north Rapid City neighborhoods
RAPID CITY, SD (February 19, 2024)—Beginning this month, contractors will begin removing dead and diseased trees in the north Rapid City area. The work is funded through a $90,000 grant awarded last month to the City of Rapid City from the South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
Under the plan, contractor crews will remove several trees. For every dead or diseased tree removed, the plan is to plant two replacement trees.
“The grant allows us to go in and remove dead and diseased trees and to plant new trees which will have great benefits and impacts on neighborhoods in the north Rapid City area,” said City Forestry and Landscape Supervisor Jason Preble. “This program provides an opportunity to get the affected trees removed and replaced.
“The dead and diseased trees create safety hazards and potential issues during weather issues such as snow storms and high winds.,” said Preble. “Tree branches can fall on power lines and on to streets.”
The City has contacted more than 50 homeowners about participating in the program. Some of the homes have multiple trees that are eligible for removal. There is no cost for homeowners to participate in the removal/replacement program.
“Planting two trees for every one removed helps to increase the quality and quantity of the city’s urban forest,” said Preble. “A more diverse urban forest helps add to the natural beauty of our community and makes it less likely for neighborhoods to be devastated by disease, invasive pests and weather events.”
The City’s Grants Division applied for the state grant. State officials notified Grants Division Manager Jamie Toennies last month of the award.
“The grants division continues to research and review opportunities to seek and apply for state, federal and other funds that may assist our City departments in promoting and funding programs and efforts that will benefit our community and citizens,” said Toennies.
Dead and diseased trees are impacted by high winds and storm events such as the 2013 Winter Storm Atlas, in which many city streets were impassable due to fallen branches from dead and overgrown trees.