Tree Removals Begin In Boulder's University Hill Commercial Area

BOULDER, CO — The City of Boulder’s Forestry Division has begun removing trees in the University Hill commercial area, officials announced. The tree removals will continue until Jan. 10, weather permitting.

Thirteen ash trees, which are heavily infested with emerald ash borer, will be removed from the University Hill commercial area, which is bordered by Pleasant Street and College Avenue between 13th Street and Broadway. Five additional trees of various species will be removed as they are dead or dying and pose a risk to public safety, officials said.

All removals are scheduled between 8 and 11 a.m. No street closures are anticipated as work zones are small and will be coned and taped off for safety, officials said.

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A tree replacement plan is being developed by the city’s Community Vitality Department, which maintains the commercial district streetscape, in consultation with the city’s Forestry Division. The plan will be presented for consideration to the Boulder City Council-appointed members of the University Hill Commercial Area Management Commission.

To meet the city’s urban tree canopy goals and guidelines, the plan will include a mix of tree replacement, landscaping and upgrades to the tree irrigation system to ensure the viability of the new trees. It is anticipated that a plan draft will be ready for public review and comment in early 2020. Replanting will likely occur as weather allows in spring or early summer 2020.

Of the 418 trees identified for removal in Boulder, 302 are ash trees heavily infested with the emerald ash borer, officials said. The remaining 116 non-ash trees are either structurally unsound or are dying and pose a risk to public safety.

Emerald ash borer, an invasive wood-boring beetle, attacks all North American ash that aren't protected by pesticides. Now present in over 35 other states, the beetles have killed millions of ash trees over the past two decades.