Shade Tree Commission pauses invasive-species removal to cover storm-damaged and hazardous-tree work

The Mount Vernon Shade Tree Commission decided during its meeting to defer a planned invasive-species removal project for this year and redirect attention to removing storm-damaged and hazardous trees.

Members said this season’s storms and a harsh winter increased the number of trees requiring removal and that those unplanned costs have strained the commission’s removal budget. One member reported that recent losses in some areas were on the order of “roughly 25 to 30” trees; commissioners emphasized attempts to replace trees where feasible under the city’s zoning code.

The mayor, according to a meeting report, suggested postponing the invasive-removal work “for a year so we can use those funds for taking care of the projects that we have to take care of because of the trees coming down.” Staff told the commission that the invasive-removal funds had not been encumbered, so no formal reallocation of committed money was necessary.

Quinton, who gave cost estimates for larger removals, said mature silver-maple removals can vary widely depending on size and site constraints and estimated that a removal “on average [is] about $3,500, I think…not including the stump grinding.” Commissioners noted that very large trees requiring cranes or special equipment can run toward the higher end of the range.

Because the invasive-removal project had not yet been contracted, the group agreed informally to delay that work for one year and to pick the project back up next season. The commission did not hold a formal vote to reassign budget lines; staff characterized the change as a scheduling and prioritization decision driven by storm-response needs.

Next steps include continuing hazard-tree removals, seeking updates on a previously applied-for grant from a corporate contact, and reassessing the invasive-species program in the next budget cycle.