Decatur, GA — The city of Decatur removed several trees McKoy Park over the last couple of months due to being infested with beetles, severely leaning and having canker disease. New trees and plants are planned to be put in the area where the trees were removed.

There are six freshly cut stumps along the left field fence at the baseball field and several old stumps as well at the park. The trees are being removed in phases. The highest risk trees were removed in December and six more were removed over the last two weeks. Three trees will be removed over the next two weeks, City Arborist Kay Evanovich said.

The city typically evaluates the trees and then contracts out the work to a tree removal vendor.

“We have the trees inspected by the City Arborist who is Tree Risk Assessment Qualified, and we fill out a tree removal permit, then trees are planted back,” Evanovich said. “The same will be the situation under the new ordinance, which begins on March 21, 2022. Trees will have to be planted back per code requirements.”

The city of Decatur updated its tree ordinance in January.

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