Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
Jed Boal ReportingThe recent storms that hammered the Wasatch Front with heavy snow knocked down a lot of trees and limbs. Much of that tangled mess is still hanging around and you might not know how to get rid of it.
Our cities and counties will take care of all of the branches that fell on public property and even those that fell in our park strips. But when it comes to the limbs in our yards, it's a different story.
Maybe you have limbs in your yard or maybe you've dragged them out to the curb. Each community has it's own solution, but the deadfall in most Northern Utah neighborhoods has overwhelmed public works departments beyond their responsibilities.
The problem is that if you take all of those branches from your property and put them out on the curb, they may sit there a long time, no matter where you live.
In West Valley City, people can take branches along with their Christmas trees to four parks including City Park.
Russ Willardson, West Valley Public Works Director: “If they bring the trees here to this site, we'll mulch them up with the equipment on site and use the mulch in our landscaping in our parks and golf courses this summer."
Or, in West Valley, you can cut branches into five foot sections, bundle them and put them out on your regular monthly bulk waste day.
Branches are piling up on the curbs in Salt Lake City too. But if they didn't fall from trees in the park strip, they won't be cleared away. Pile them away in your back yard and take them out during the spring or summer curbside pick-up.
Sandy makes the same suggestion. And you can always haul yard waste to the Salt Lake Landfill for $6.
Check with your city or county; all communities want to get the limbs off the curbs. If another storm covers the branches and plows come through, a plow blade could easily send a limb flying.
