HOA Question Trees cut down - damaged other trees

Several trees were cut down on Friday afternoon in the area next to the playground on the path between Ellzey and Vestals Gap. My neighbor said one of the trees was not dead. The trees that were downed also crushed smaller trees and were simply left where they fell. My husband and I were able to saw through a couple of the downed trees to hopefully save a couple of the smaller trees. It’s very disappointing and upsetting as one of the best things about our neighborhood is the trees and nature trails. In the past, the tree company seemed to do a great job of removing dead trees but maintaining the surrounding ones. I do plan to contact the HOA office on Monday, I’m afraid which ever company did this will just make things worse….

 

It does seem like the wooded trails are getting less wooded. I hope it's needed for the overall health of the forest.

 

@hokie'81 - The trees were removed because they presented an immediate hazard to the playground, the homes, and the walking path. True, not all of the trees were dead, but the live tree that was cut down was partially uprooted and leaning into adjacent trees. This made the trees unsafe to climb and lower small pieces to the ground. A rigging device was used to lower the trees but without the ability to climb and take out the tree in smaller pieces, some collateral damage occurred. Due to the wet soil conditions from all of the rain, it was not practical to access the area with the equipment needed to chip up the downed trees. Once the conditions allow, the trees will be chipped and returned to the natural area to help the next generation of our forest. Thanks for caring about our urban forest!