Report: 35 percent of storm damaged trees can be saved
by JESSICA L. FINCH Associate Editor

Much like the chainsaw used to remove storm-damaged trees, Amherst Town officials went around in circles during Monday's work session.

Three weeks ago, the board hired arborist Bill Snyder to review 10 percent of damaged trees to determine if any could survive.

When he presented his findings on Monday, Supervisor Satish Mohan asked that the 1,200 marked for immediate removal be reviewed - again.

"We don't want to make errors felling the trees," he said, adding that he wanted highway employees to tape each of the trees and also have the residents living near those trees notified to make sure they were the correct ones.

Highway Superintendent Bob Anderson said there just isn't time for that. Currently, R.E.S. Company, hired through a contract with Erie County, has completed its assignment. Anderson said they will leave town, along with a rate he said is excellent.

Anderson wanted permission from the town board to begin removing trees this week and keep the contractor in town.

Mohan said removal should start this week, but he wasn't certain when.

Because the trees are on town property, residents living near them have no say in whether they go or stay.

Mohan was insisting that someone, from somewhere, handle the task. Anderson said with the current paving schedule and other projects, he didn't have any staff members able to handle the project.

The Highway Department is also not equipped with a GPS that would assist in locating the specific trees like the county does for removal.

Despite bickering among officials, there was good news from Snyder's report.

"Approximately 35 percent of the trees can remain with proper pruning," Snyder said.

His review of the town found that another 1,200 trees should be cut now. The remaining 2,400 could be pruned and monitored to see how they recover.

"If you don't trim the moderate risk trees, they will continue to deteriorate," he said.

Snyder explained to the board that many of the trees that appear healthy will not survive because they have hardwood damage. He said hardwood damage can't be repaired.

"The risk of whole tree failure increases for these trees on a yearly basis," he said in his report.

Snyder said his findings were generally consistent with those of Davey Trees. Mohan said to date the request to the Federal Emergency Management Agency for an extension on reimbursements has been denied, meaning the town must complete work by the Oct. 13 deadline to be eligible for FEMA funding.

Snyder reviewed approximately 700 trees and is recommending the following numbers for removal: 96 of 196 silver maples; 103 of 144 Norway maples; 77 of 116 locusts; 189 of 256 ashes; 11 of 27 lindens; and 19 of 32 miscellaneous trees.

The remaining should be trimmed.

The species hit hardest were ash trees, many marked for removal. Snyder noted many ash trees appear healthy, but new sucker growth is masking the structural deficiencies. Sucker growths are branches that have poor attachments to the woody branch.

Anderson said he wants to move quickly with the removal of the trees noted in Snyder's report.

"The county will be gone, its resources are leaving in a short period of time," he warned the board. "There was a lot of work done on this, and I don't want to put it on hold. These 1,200 trees will not survive."

As of Tuesday, Mohan said he was still looking for employees to mark the trees and was also trying to contact the county. He said that the first 1,063 trees were obviously damaged, compared to these 1,200 that may appear healthy.

That is the reason he said he was insisting on marking the trees and contacting residents so mistakes were not made.