San Andreas, CA…Calaveras County is offering FREE dead/dying tree removal to Calaveras County residents that have dead and dying trees located on their property along County roads. This program, known as the Tree Mortality Program is funded through the California Disaster Assistance Act, and results in NO COST to the landowner. To qualify for the program you must have a dead tree on your property that could hit a County road if it falls. Program foresters have recently completed surveys and located dead/dying trees in the following areas: the area between Big Trees Village and the Alpine County line, in Big Trees Village, in Blue Lake Springs and Arnold, between Arnold and Angels Camp, in the central County outside the Butte Fire, west of Highway 49 and between Mokelumne Hill and West Point. Program foresters have created seven project areas with identified trees, and mailed Right of Entry Forms to each landowner where trees have been identified. Forms have only been mailed to landowners who have trees that are qualified for the program.

In order to take advantage of the Tree Mortality Program, landowners MUST IMMEDIATELY return their Right of Entry forms. The required Right of Entry forms allow Program foresters to enter the landowner’s property to mark and ultimately remove hazard trees with a contracted and properly licensed tree service. In some cases, trees are at risk of imminent failure and should be removed immediately. Failure to return the Right of Entry form may result in the tree not being removed, as there are no guarantees of future project funding. To date, many landowners have elected to take advantage of this program however, foresters have re-mailed over 1,000 Right of Entry forms to landowners who have yet to utilize the program.

If you have questions about the Tree Mortality Program, or the Right of Entry form contact the Tree Mortality Program Manager, Dr. Richard Harris at (707) 685-5508 or via email at rrharrisconsulting@gmail.com . Landowners can also visit the Tree Mortality Website: https://treemortality.calaverasgov.us/.