Foresters remove hazard trees in Sisters

Dave Vitelle of Bear Mountain Fire LLC scaled a towering cottonwood tree on Main Avenue early on Sunday morning, November 27, and started lopping off limbs with a chainsaw.

This was the first move in an intricate process which will ultimately result in the removal of two cottonwoods deemed “hazard trees” by the City of Sisters.

The trees were located directly across Main Avenue from The Fly Fisher’s Place on property owned by Jack McGillvary. Jeff Silbernagel, who lives in the house adjacent to the trees, was concerned that in a heavy wind one of the limbs could break off and fall onto his house.

After an Oregon Department of Forestry Urban Forester confirmed that the trees were dead and did, in fact, pose a hazard, the City of Sisters ordered the trees removed.

The parking spaces below the trees were taped off with yellow caution tape for several weeks before Vitelle’s crew could start removal.

City Public Works Director Gary Frazee said he did not know how old the trees were. Cottonwoods have a relatively short lifespan of 80 to 120 years.