A simple mistake by a worker in Salt Lake City cost the neighborhood 200 trees, much to the anger of the community.
Tony Hazelbaker, director of the city’s parks department, said the worker responsible for killing 175 trees in the Fairview neighborhood was devastated when he realized what had gone wrong.
Last year, the worker sprayed Milestone, a widely used herbicide, at the base of the trees. What he didn’t know was that the chemical he was using was designed to kill invasive weeds.
Fast-forward to this summer, when locals began to notice the leaves on their trees starting to shrivel and die. The city’s urban foresters determined that the Milestone was the culprit, and are now working to repair the damage to the remaining surviving trees.
“We’re going to try to save everything we can,” Hazelbaker said ABC4.
A simple mistake by a Salt Lake City worker cost a neighborhood 200 trees, angering the community
Last year, the worker sprayed Milestone, a widely used herbicide, at the base of the trees. What he didn’t know was that the chemical he was using was designed to kill invasive weeds
The dead trees are still there Thursday, but it is unclear whether there are any herbicides left in the soil.
One possible solution to save the trees is to temporarily plant medium-sized shade trees in large planters filled with fresh soil until the ground is clear and they can be replanted. This can be done as early as the fall.
The city is currently requesting quotes for the cost of the aforementioned restoration.
Pictured: Map of affected areas in the Fairpark neighborhood
One possible solution to save the trees is to temporarily plant medium-sized shade trees in large planters filled with fresh soil until the ground is clear and they can be replanted. This can be done as early as the fall.
“There is obviously less shade along North Temple at the moment, which is very sad to see, especially on the west side and especially in this heat,” Hazelbaker said.
“The area is not as nice as it could be. We want to have the trees removed soon.”
The Fairpark Community Council said they were “heartbroken” about the dying trees and encouraged the community to reach out with questions or concerns, according to their Facebook page. after.
Fairpark has historically been warmer than other Salt Lake City neighborhoods because it lacks shade.
Fast forward to this summer, when locals began to notice the leaves on their trees shriveling and dying. The city’s urban foresters determined that the Milestone was the culprit and are now working to repair the damage to the remaining living trees.
The dead trees are still there Thursday, but it is unclear whether the herbicide is still in the soil.
To address this pre-existing problem, Mayor Erin Mendenhall launched a five-year plan to plant 1,000 trees annually on the city’s west side.
Since then, stricter herbicide use protocols have been put in place, including improved training for certified applicators and an improved inventory management system involving both supervisors and warehouse personnel, following the herbicide incident.
The city’s human resources department will handle any disciplinary action against the employee responsible for the herbicide accident, as the investigation is ongoing.