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Resident raises alarm over dead trees, asks Rankin County to speed removal and repaving on Gore Road
Summary
A resident told the board that drought- and insect-related tree deaths along Gore Road pose public-safety hazards; county officials said they have spent more than $1 million removing dead trees, have 54 work orders from the resident and are seeking federal assistance after a stalled appropriation.
During public comment at the March 17 Rankin County Board of Supervisors meeting, resident Deborah Hendricks urged the county to remove dead trees along Gore Road and B. Summers Road and asked that those roads be repaved.
Hendricks told the board the trees “pose a significant risk resulting in damage that could lead to injury, death, or property damage.” She also thanked Sheriff Bailey and his staff for their work.
County officials responded that crews are addressing dead trees across the county, but the scale of the problem is large. One supervisor said the county has spent “a million plus dollars” over the past year and a half removing hazardous trees. Road and utility coordination was cited as an additional complication: many dangerous trees are near power lines and require coordination with utilities before removal.
Road manager Mike Harrison reported the county has been in contact with Central Electric about trees on Gore Road and that his office has received and worked on multiple requests from Hendricks. A supervisor noted a list of 54 work orders submitted by Hendricks and said those work orders had been acted on.
Supervisors and staff said the county sought federal assistance to address storm-related debris and tree loss after a multi-year drought. Officials said an appropriation that would have provided about $6.5 million to address deadfall across the county was stalled when Congress failed to pass a full appropriations bill; the funding will be reintroduced in 2026 if federal leaders reach agreement. County staff estimated about 40% of planned removal work has been completed so far.
Board members said they will continue to coordinate with utilities and pursue funding opportunities, but provided no timeline for completion beyond ongoing removal efforts.
