Just in from the county:
Humboldt County Parks and the California Conservation Corps will be trimming and cutting selected trees along the Hammond Trail between Hiller Park and Knox Cove in McKinleyville on March 23 and 24, 2009. Trail users are advised that they may encounter temporary delays between 8:30 am and 4:00 pm on these days.
The scheduled work is part of Humboldt County Parks’ tree risk management program, which is designed to address potential hazard trees located within the County park and trail system in order to maintain safe recreational areas and a healthy tree population.
Trees are an important resource within the Humboldt County parks and trails system by providing aesthetic, recreational, cultural, and ecological value as well as contributing to air quality. While most trees are long-lived, they can experience a number of stresses, such as disease, insect attack, winds, and human-caused damage, that result in defects which in turn can lead to partial or complete failure. Most tree failures occur during storm events, and the most likely failure is a branch or limb, rather than the whole tree. Because trees and people are in close proximity within the parks and trails system, it is important to manage the risks associated with trees before they endanger public safety.
Trees along the Hammond Trail are being evaluated based on a hazard rating system that evaluates failure potential, size of the defective part, and potential targets. Careful consideration is made to avoid or minimize potential impacts to the habitat and aesthetic aspects of a tree and the effects on adjacent property, while still sufficiently abating the identified hazard. Parks staff also look to identify opportunities for preventative measures to avoid or correct problems and improve tree longevity.
McKinleyville Press Blog 