Missoula’s Urban Forestry Division says it’s examined roughly a quarter of the city’s trees for damage following the storm. So far, it estimates a loss of 600 to 1,000 trees on city land alone. More than 450 have been marked for removal.
Ecosystems Services head Morgan Valliant says the city’s three full-time arborists have been in “triage” mode for weeks.
“We’ve not had a chance to really count the number of trees that came down in that initial event,” Valliant said. “We’re really focused now on just alleviating and getting those hazards out of our public spaces.”
The city has suspended its regular tree pruning and planting programs to focus on storm recovery.
Officials say the loss of tree cover could mean warmer temperatures for residents next summer.
Many trees still have debris trapped in their branches. Officials advise residents to survey their trees for possible hazards and to visit www.missoulaparks.org to request debris pickup.
