City advising residents of tree clearing work in parks

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — The City of Fort St. John is advising residents to watch out for crews working on clearing fallen, dangerous and dead trees in multiple city parks in the coming weeks.

Tree clearing work will occur in Centennial, Mathews, and Toboggan Hill Parks, as well as the Garrison Trail and the Fish Creek Community Forest.

Crews started working on the project on March 14th and will continue into mid-April, according to Ryan Harvey, communications manager for the city.

Harvey says the areas were identified by the Urban Forest Strategy, a document that outlines the maintenance and enhancement of parks in the Fort St. John area.

“We actively manage our urban forests,” said Harvey. “These areas identified by city staff required immediate attention to prevent potential damage and maintain healthy forests.”

Clearing the trees before or after the bird nesting season, which occurs between March and August, is critical, says Harvey.

“It’s important to clear those areas before that period begins,” said Harvey.

Although final costs still need to be identified, the city has a budget of about $100,000 for contracted park services such as tree clearing for 2024.