Tree removal sparks residents’ ire

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FEMA also verifies the inspection, and LiRo keeps a record on each tree, LaCarrubba said. He added that because the inspectors are paid only to evaluate the trees, there is no incentive for them to deem more of them damaged, and that FEMA does not want to pay for any more trees to be removed than is necessary.

FEMA is not covering the cost of replacing the trees, LaCarrubba said, explaining that the city would push to be reimbursed, but would most likely have to foot the bill using capital project funds.

County Legislator Denise Ford (R-Long Beach) said that she was working to secure $50,000 in county funding for the replacement trees, and that she had facilitated an intermunicipal agreement between the county and the city to make that possible. The City Council and the County Legislature would have to vote on the arrangement, she said, before the funds could be awarded. New trees can’t be planted until fall, but Ford said she wanted to get the agreement done as soon as possible, so the city can be ready to plant when the season arrives.

Though the city insists that the tree removal is for safety reasons, many residents have expressed disappointment in the manner in which the work is being done. Council Vice President Fran Adelson said she is getting calls from residents saying that trees on their blocks that appear healthy are being taken down.

LaCarrubba said that even if a tree appears to be alive, it may still be damaged and dying. Additionally, he explained that even if a trunk looks healthy after the tree is cut, the tree could still be substantially damaged, because nutrients remain in the trunk the longest.

“I’m going to leave it to the folks that have decades of experience, and I’m going to trust their judgment,” he said.

Resident Liza Womack asked why some trees that aren’t completely damaged could not just be pruned of dead limbs rather than cut down. Another resident, Fred Rondina, said there was no notification of the work on his block, and that some cars were towed. LaCarubba said that signs are posted, but some people are taking them down because they don’t want to see the trees removed.

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