The Forestry Division of Great Falls Park & Recreation has tested and marked more than 200 trees throughout various parks in the Boulevard District.
![Tree Boulevard District in Great Falls](https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/2607bc3/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1920x1080+0+0/resize/1280x720!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fewscripps-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F57%2F4f%2F184450194954930963aa6d5dec91%2Fkrtv00002.png)
Dutch Elm Disease, found in many of the trees marked for removal, is deadly to trees and can spread through the roots to other trees if not removed properly and in a timely manner.
There are a variety of reasons for why these trees must be removed. Some of them are dead or dying and some have been taken over by the beavers.
Jessica Compton, deputy director of Parks & Recreation, Great Falls explained how the disease means the trees’ necessary removal.
“It’s called Dutch Elm Disease, and that is going through all the elm trees throughout the city. Once they get it, [trees] have about a year of a lifespan left,” said Compton. “We want to make sure they get that tree out as soon as possible so it doesn't spread to other trees in the parks in the boulevard district, so, they're trying to get ahead of it and be preventative instead of reactive.”
The trees that are removed without the disease will be turned into wood chips that will be free to the community to pick up at the Park & Recreation office.
The trees will be removed in the fall and the stumps will also be removed at a later date.
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