Salem is set to remove 34 trees from Minto-Brown Island Park ahead of $1.54 million in parking lot improvements.
Most of the trees — 31 non-native European white birches — need to be removed due to their declining health and infestation with a bronze birch borer pest. The trees showed visible signs of heat stress from extreme heat over the past few summers.
The city’s forestry team estimates the trees are 20 years old and were planted when the dog park was established.
The established evergreen trees bordering the parking lot to the east will remain in place.
Three native cottonwood trees near the Parking Lot #3 entrance also will be cut down. The logs from the cottonwoods will be used in the nearby slough to support native turtle habitat.
Signs for the tree removal will be posted at the park early next week. The tree removal is taking place in the winter to avoid impacts to nesting birds.
“The removal of these trees is essential for the installation of proper paving, stormwater drainage, and construction of a stormwater conveyance swale,” city officials said in a statement. “To mitigate the impact, each removed tree will be replaced with a native species in a suitable location within the park.”