Properties near private roads OK’d for tree removal
FEMA approves use of federal funds in clearing of hazards
OROVILLE >> The Federal Emergency Management Agency has agreed to fund the removal of hazardous trees at risk of falling near most private roads after the Camp Fire as well as those near public infrastructure.
Paradise Town Manager Lauren Gill and Butte County Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Casey Hatcher confirmed the expansion of the program removing hazardous trees from private property on Friday. They said FEMA agreed that parcels near roads that are regularly used by the public would be eligible in a recent letter to the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services.
That means more people will have to sign up for either the state-run tree removal program, or an inspection if the work has been done or will be done privately. Previously, only parcels near public infrastructure like public roads or parks were eligible. That was around 13,200 parcels. FEMA is also funding the removal of trees in the public right-of-way.
But that left out around half the roads in Paradise, or 100 miles, which are privately-owned and maintained. Earlier estimates by the county suggested that up to 5,000 additional parcels could be added if private roads were included.
The funding of hazardous tree removal near private roads marks a precedent and an expansion of FEMA’s role. According to its guidelines, the federal government usually only funds disaster-related clean-up near public infrastructure.
The goal of the project is to remove trees that are dead and dying and pose a risk to those who are living there or are rebuilding. Negotiations with FEMA over the tree removal from private property took many months. The county and the town both passed ordinances requiring eligible property owners to participate in either the public or private program. If property owners do not sign up, they will eventually have a lien put on their property. The county has struggled to sign everyone up, likely because former residents were confused about eligibility, skeptical of the government, or had moved out of the area.
Hatcher cautioned that government officials were still working to identify exactly which parcels would now be eligible and required to participate. People with property on private roads can call and sign up but may not get an answer for another week.
“We cannot guarantee the property owner has a parcel that is eligible at this time,” Hatcher wrote.
They hope to have a final list by the end of next week.
The private roads expected to be included are “roads that are part of the overall circulation system and connect two other public roads, roads that lead to public land, and roads used to provide waste hauling service by the town and county waste franchise holders,” according to an email from Hatcher. That would include most of the private roads in the town and about half of the roads in the county area.
The remaining parcels may still be able to get government funds to support the removal of hazardous trees through an entirely different grant in a couple of years.
Government officials have launched an online map that will be regularly updated to show property owners the progress of the tree removal. It shows which parcels have signed up for the private program and which have signed up for the public one. It also shows each parcel’s stage, from sign-up to assessment to tree felling to completion.
The deadline for signups is Feb. 21.The Chico and Oroville sign-up centers are now closed, but people can still sign up at the Paradise library’s community room at 5922 Clark Road in Paradise from 9 to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Forms are available for download online at buttecountyrecovers.org/treeremoval. They can be returned via email at treeroe@buttecounty.net or via mail to Tree Removal ROE Processing Center, 205 Mira Loma Drive, Suite 50, Oroville, CA, 95965.