Sheldon, Iowa — If you look around, you’ll notice fewer trees in Sheldon, both in the parks and in general.
We talked to Sheldon Public Works Director Todd Uhl about the trees, and why the city is removing them. Uhl says while they have cut down some other trees, especially unsafe cottonwoods in the parks, most of the reason for the tree removal is the emerald ash borer.
The problem is, according to Uhl, the majority of Sheldon’s trees are ash or maple.
How did we get here? At the recent Sheldon City Council Meeting, Uhl said that he thinks that when Dutch Elm Disease reached northwest Iowa in the 1970s and 80s, the tree family that many people replaced their elms with was ash. He says that’s why it’s best to diversify and not plant so many of the same kind of tree.
In fact, for now at least, the city has made it illegal to plant ANY kind of tree in the grassy area between the street and the sidewalk. Some people refer to that strip as the “right of way,” some call it the “parking,” and others call it the “boulevard,” but it all means the same thing — the area between the sidewalk and the street. Uhl tells us more about the tree moratorium.
If you have any questions about trees, you can call the Sheldon City Office.
