Storm response highlights public-private cooperation

(Editor's note: This is the second in a series of articles submitted by the Tree Advisory Committee to provide residents with ongoing information about removal and replacement of trees lost in the October 2006 storm.)

Following the October 2006 ice storm, both public agencies and private organizations mobilized to provide support and assistance in the City of Buffalo, Amherst and other affected towns. These included:

• Federal Emergency Management Association and SEMO, its New York State counterpart. These agencies provide assistance and reimbursement on a cost-sharing basis for disaster-related expenses. The process for obtaining reimbursements from FEMA follows explicit guidelines and time frames including initial assessments of tree damage and audits of work records. The original time period for reimbursement was October 2006 to May 2007; this was later extended to October 2007 and a final extension approved to April 2008.

• Erie County served as lead point of contact with FEMA/SEMO for the City of Buffalo and surrounding towns. Due to the scope of the damage, the county successfully negotiated a single bid for tree removal that resulted in much lower costs than would have been the case with multiple separate bids.

• Amherst Highway Department and Forestry Division has been responsible for communication with residents and the media, coordination with Erie County, FEMA/SEMO, oversight of immediate storm cleanup and damage assessment, and development of plans for tree removal and replacement.

• Amherst Emergency Management Office. This office coordinated the paperwork required in the FEMA/SEMO reimbursement process; this included time sheets, equipment records and notes.

• Re-Tree WNY, a volunteer organization formed in November 2006 as a response to the "October surprise," with a mission of replacing 30,000 trees during a five-year period. Re-Tree WNY serves all of Western New York, partners with each municipality by providing trees, recruiting volunteers, providing training and tree planting events. In 2007. nearly 3,000 trees were planted, 176 trees in the Town of Amherst. For information, visit www. re- treewny. org.

Amherst Tree Advisory Committee's role was described in the March 5 article, the first in the series.