North Augusta secured $430,000 from the South Carolina Forestry Commission. The money will fund tree canopy assessment and plant over 110 new trees after Hurricane Helene tore through the area. City workers will also use the funds to find and manage dangerous trees in multiple neighborhoods.
Roy Kibler oversees property maintenance for the city and holds an arborist license. He called the grant one of the biggest the city has ever received for tree work. What makes this award stand out? It covers analysis, risk assessment, pruning, and replacement all at once.
Workers have already flagged nearly 300 trees that need risk checks and trimming in Bergen West, Arbor West, The Landing, Georgia Avenue downtown, and the industrial park. Hurricane Helene knocked down many trees, and crews removed them during cleanup. But only about 235 have been replaced so far…