San Andreas, CA…Winter is upon us and Calaveras County’s projects to eliminate dead trees that are hazardous to County infrastructure will be affected by wet weather and snow cover. Project 25, located between Arnold and Murphys is set to begin on January 13 and affected property owners have been notified. There may be delays at higher elevations if weather prevents safe operations. Project 26 located between Skyhigh Ranch and the County line is on hold until the spring due to snow cover and inaccessibility. Two additional projects located in the West Point-Wilseyville-Railroad Flat area (Projects 9 and 27) have been awarded and will begin in late January. Although it is hoped that operations on those projects can proceed uninterrupted, they also may be affected by winter weather. Property owners who are in any of these projects should feel free to contact the Tree Mortality Program Manager, Dr. Richard Harris, if they have any questions about scheduling. He can be reached at (707) 685-5508 or rrharrisconsulting@gmail.com.

Regarding future projects, there are three that are currently in the planning stages. Trees are currently being marked in Project 29, extending from Blue Lake Springs to Angels Camp and an Invitation to Bid for the doing the tree removal will be issued in the near future. Project 28 on Forest Service parcels traversed by County roads is about ready to go but due to the high elevation of those parcels it is unlikely to begin before spring. The same is true for Project 30, located in Big Trees Village. Interested residents and property owners can stay informed about the County’s projects by visiting the County website at https://treemortality.calaverasgov.us/.