What you need to know:
- Around a dozen chokecherry trees were cut down in front of the Wasilla Public Library in an effort to improve sightlines for drivers and protect power lines, city officials said. Chokecherry trees are an invasive species that can poison moose, they said.
- City officials plan to replace the removed trees with a native variety in the spring, and are looking for a long-term solution that won’t cause future issues.
- The tree removal was part of a routine utility maintenance project spearheaded by the Matanuska Electric Association, which monitors and clears trees around power lines on a rotating seven-year schedule.
WASILLA – About a dozen trees lining Crusey Street in front of the Wasilla Public Library were cut down and placed in piles last week as part of a clearing project that left some residents puzzled.
The trees were removed to improve sightlines for drivers along the busy thoroughfare and to protect power lines, Wasilla officials said during a City Council meeting Tuesday. They were completely cut down rather than pruned because they were chokecherry trees, an invasive species that can poison moose , they said.