MOULTRIE, GA (WALB) - Hundreds of trees are slated to be felled in Moultrie, though the process could take months.
City officials said they're cutting down nearly 300 trees in a densely wooded section along the seven-mile bike trail in Moultrie.
Daniel Lawson, assistant director for Public Works, said this is a labor-intensive task and they're only able to cut down a few trees at a time every other Saturday.
"Aesthetics mainly. I mean that's the whole premise behind everything that we do," said Lawson.
WALB spoke with a few residents Wednesday, but they didn’t want to be interviewed on camera. Some said they're happy that the landscape will be improved while others will miss the shade that the trees provided.
Lawson said that thinning a forest is necessary because it allows the remaining trees to get plenty of sun, bloom properly and provides essential room for the trees to grow.
"It was either remove the crepe myrtles due to overcrowding or cut the oaks. The Tree Committee decided to cut the crepe myrtles," explained Lawson.
Which will allow the live oaks to create a canape over the trail. And, with the need to remove so many trees spanning several months, Lawson said labor is another major component of the project.
"We have a inter-government agreement with Colquitt County. We utilize two inmate crews and we try not to interfere with our daily work load, and we schedule this for Saturday work," said Lawson.
Lawson said about 15 trees will be cut down every other Saturday and the debris will be removed from the site daily to minimize inconvenience to the community.
"We also recycle 100 percent of our yard debris in Moultrie, so that will be recycled," said Lawson.
Lawson also said there will be no obstruction of the bike trail while the work is on-going.
Copyright 2018 WALB. All rights reserved.
