The Drumheller Resiliency and Flood Mitigation Office (DRFMO) is continuing the tree removal process in Downtown, Midland, and Newcastle in early March.
Pathways and trails will be closed and signs placed at entrances to inform the community of work in the area.
“While the Town of Drumheller makes every effort to avoid impacting trees, sometimes the nature of capital projects requires some trees are removed to make space for flood mitigation project work,” states a press release from the DRFMO.
“When trees are impacted in project areas, a landscape plan is developed to restore the ecological health of the area. The health of the trees has been assessed, and any trees in good or fair health will be replaced at a ratio of five to one--five replacements for every one removal,” the release continues.
Replacements may be trees, shrubs, or a combination thereof.
Some trees will be repurposed through a project taken on by a group of residents to place benches, carvings, and other installations throughout the community; artists will be sought to create these installations to honour and appreciate the life of the trees. Outside of this project, other tree material will be mulched and reused in park areas.
Biologists have been engaged to sweep the area for owl nests, animal dens, and other sensitive wildlife prior to removal. The protection of the environment is of utmost importance to DRFMO.
To mitigate the transfer of Dutch Elm Disease to other trees, elm trees will be disposed of at the landfill while the remainder will be moved to a town storage site at Eladesor.
