In view of an incident of a tree falling on a car and injuring a child, the City of Akron is initiating a tree removal program to protect those who travel Memorial Parkway and Uhler Street. Since Akron began cataloging the trees most prone to fail, using the services of the Davey Resource Group, other trees have fallen in the same area, confirming the need to take action. 

Sandy soils exist on the valley slopes along this stretch of roadway. Many of these trees, competing for sunlight, are leaning toward the roadway. During periods of wet weather, soils become saturated (heavy and lubricated) and are more vulnerable to failure, or slippage, considering the contributing weight of the trees themselves.

Clear cutting will not be employed, as this is simply removal of those most likely to fail. The stumps will be treated to discourage re-growth, but will remain to assist in holding the soil on these steep slopes. Chipping the branches and leaving them on the slopes will further discourage erosion. Some of the logs will be left where removal will cause further erosion.  Removal will be done in three phases, with each taking roughly one month to complete. Work begins in early December and is expected to end some time in February of 2008.

The City is attempting to salvage the desirable timber for use in furniture and flooring, part of an initiative to make better use of resources rather than simply using them as firewood, mulch or hauling them to the landfill. The thinning method utilized will barely be noticeable when the project is completed, and citizens will be able to more safely travel this stretch of roadway. Hazardous tree reviews are a reality for those maintaining our urban forest.