What happens to trees in Sacramento area after they topple over?

There is still a lot of damage across Northern California following the several storm systems that ripped through the area the past couple of weeks. That includes fallen trees.Many trees are still blocking city streets, and pieces of downed trees that have already been cut up by cleanup crews line the side of some roadways. The city of Sacramento said it is working hard to clear the debris from the roads and sidewalks, but due to the high volume of downed trees, it is taking some time to respond to every location. A spokesperson for the city’s public works department told KCRA 3 that right now, after trees are removed from a public location within the city limits, it is brought to either their South Area Corporation Yard on 24th Street or their North Area Corporation Yard on Del Paso Road. From there, some trees are sent elsewhere to be processed for a new purpose. Sacramento County officials said they transform downed trees in their jurisdiction to fulfill different needs. In a statement to KCRA 3, a county spokesperson said: “Trees that fall within our regional parks system are typically broken down into small pieces, put through a wood chipper, and spread as mulch. Trees that fall on county roadways get a similar treatment The Department of Waste Management and Recycling typically ships the trees, branches, and stumps it receives to contractors, who then turn them into either compost or mulch.”For trees on private property, it is up to the homeowner or landlord to take care of them. Many people across the Sacramento region have been calling tree removal companies to handle the mess. Jeff Herzog called Dry Leaf Tree Service to get rid of the tree that crashed onto his Sacramento home.”The tree fell on the roof, and the whole house filled up with smoke because it blocked the chimney,” Herzog said.Herzog said he considered keeping the branches and limbs of his cut-up tree to use as firewood, but he ultimately decided against it.”I was thinking about it. It would take a year to dry, so I just don’t have much space, and I don’t even know if I’ll be able to build a chimney back because of regulations,” Herzog said. “It’s too much wood for me. It’s just me and a little house. That’s a lot of wood.” Andrea Hernandez with Dry Leaf Tree Service said the company will now take the wood, repurpose it and sell it through their other company in town “We use it for firewood; we cut it up and we use it for that. Or there’s times where other companies need this wood for making furniture. We also chip it up in our chipper and we turn it into woodchips,” Hernandez said . “Almost 100% of the tree is being re-used.”Hernadez said Herzog’s downed tree is not burnable yet because of all the water soaked into it, but she said after about a year, it will be dry, and it can be used .Just as Hernandez and her company are staying busy, so are the city of Sacramento and Sacramento County. They said their crews are working around the clock to get the remaining trees that have fallen into the roadways cleaned up.

There is still a lot of damage across Northern California following the several storm systems that ripped through the area the past couple of weeks. That includes falling trees.

Many trees are still blocking city streets, and pieces of downed trees that have already been cut up by cleanup crews line the side of some roadways. The city of Sacramento said it is working hard to clear the debris from the roads and sidewalks, but due to the high volume of downed trees, it is taking some time to respond to every location.

A spokesperson for the city’s public works department told KCRA 3 that right now, after trees are removed from a public location within the city limits, it is brought to either their South Area Corporation Yard on 24th Street or their North Area Corporation Yard on Del Paso Road. From there, some trees are sent elsewhere to be processed for a new purpose.

Sacramento County officials said they transform downed trees in their jurisdiction to fulfill different needs. In a statement to KCRA 3, a county spokesperson said:

“Trees that fall within our regional parks system are typically broken down into small pieces, put through a wood chipper, and spread as mulch. Trees that fall on county roadways get a similar treatment. The Sacramento County Department of Transportation chops and chips them, and they are used as mulch along public right of ways. The Department of Waste Management and Recycling typically ships the trees, branches, and stumps it receives to contractors, who then turn them into either compost or mulch.”

For trees on private property, it is up to the homeowner or landlord to take care of them. Many people across the Sacramento region have been calling tree removal companies to handle the mess. Jeff Herzog called Dry Leaf Tree Service to get rid of the tree that crashed onto his Sacramento home.

“The tree fell on the roof, and the whole house filled up with smoke because it blocked the chimney,” Herzog said.

Herzog said he considered keeping the branches and limbs of his cut-up tree to use as firewood, but he ultimately decided against it.

“I was thinking about it. It would take a year to dry, so I just don’t have much space, and I don’t even know if I’ll be able to build a chimney back because of regulations,” Herzog said . “It’s too much wood for me. It’s just me and a little house. That’s a lot of wood.”

Andrea Hernandez with Dry Leaf Tree Service said the company will now take the wood, repurpose it and sell it through their other company in town.

“We use it for firewood; we cut it up and we use it for that. Or there’s times where other companies need this wood for making furniture. We also chip it up in our chipper and we turn it into woodchips,” Hernandez said. “Almost 100% of the tree is being re-used.”

Hernadez said Herzog’s downed tree is not burnable yet because of all the water soaked into it, but she said after about a year, it will be dry, and it can be used.

Just as Hernandez and her company are staying busy, so are the city of Sacramento and Sacramento County. They said their crews are working around the clock to get the remaining trees that have fallen into the roadways cleaned up.

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