The sixth year of the city's routine street tree pruning program will begin in late summer/early fall 2022 and will be completed by the end of June 2023. This program is funded through the stormwater utility.
The map to the right shows the areas that will be part of the pruning
program. Please note these areas are subject to change. Based on current resources, it will take approximately 10 years to prune all city street trees.
Pruning will be done by professionals, in accordance with city specifications. Most street trees have not been pruned in over 15 years; and some may require extensive pruning to ensure safety and to improve the health of the tree.
City staff and the city's tree care contractor will make every effort to keep driveways clear and roads accessible during work. Streets will be posted "No Parking", when necessary.
What are the benefits of a routine street tree pruning?
Trees pruned on a routine basis develop proper form and structure leading to a variety of benefits, including:
- Lower cost per tree trimmed compared to reactive pruning done in response to storm damage, sight clearance or immediate hazards
- Healthier tree canopy as a result of removing dead, dying or diseased limbs, earlier identification and correction of insect/disease problems
- Reduction in storm related tree damage
- Better clearance and less obstructions in the public right-of-way as well as better sight lines for signs, signals and intersections
- Lower future maintenance costs
- Improvement of tree's structure to better withstand stresses from wind, ice and rain.
Reminders
- At this time, we are unable to provide a schedule of when a street will be pruned.
- No requests will be accepted to exempt a street tree from the program.
- Some tree species require pruning during the dormant season to prevent the spread of diseases. These tree species will be pruned first. Pruning crews will return to prune the remaining trees at a later date.
- Debris created during the pruning program will be removed.