Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
THE HURLEY City Council is considering cutting down some trees at Riccelli Park. The dead tree at the left is one that should come down.
By RALPH ANSAMI
Hurley - As Hurley City Council members considered thinning trees at Riccelli Park at Tuesday's meeting, a resident of that neighborhood urged them not to cut down too many.
Mike Sejbl, who is Hurley's fire chief, said clear-cutting "would definitely change that whole neighborhood."
Earlier Tuesday, at a parks and recreation committee meeting, council members discussed cutting down as many as 100 evergreen trees, mostly on the south side of the children's park, leaving the tree line at least three deep around the perimeter.
There are about a half-dozen standing dead trees in one spot on the south side of the park.
Council members discussed if the stumps of the downed trees should be ground down to the surface level.
"It's a good-sized job," said street superintendent Mark Bluse, who said the city council's options are to have either a logger or professional tree service company do the job.
Sejbl agreed there are a few dying trees that should be culled, but emphasized there's no need for clear-cutting in the area of the park. He said most of the massive trees are sound and should remain standing.
Sejbl wondered what has changed recently to warrant the tree removal discussion.
Parks and recreation committee members Steve Lombardo and Jay Aijala were absent from Tuesday's meetings.
Bluse said he would check with tree removal companies and loggers to get a better handle on how much the thinning would cost and to determine if there would be any value to the trees that would be harvested.
