Otsego may benefit from tree program

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January 30, 2012

BY JOE MAHONEY Staff Writer The Daily Star Mon Jan 30, 2012, 02:30 AM EST

COOPERSTOWN -- If Scott Fickbohm gets his way, trees that have fallen into Otsego County streams will be cleared out in a program that would benefit both landowners and laborers.

Fickbohm is the district manager for the Otsego County Soil and Water Conservation District, an agency charged with protecting natural resources within the county and promoting flood prevention and erosion control.

"Downed trees cause a cascading effect in stream erosion," Fickbohm said.

He said he is hoping to win support from the state Department of Labor and Environmental Conservation for a tree-removal effort that would operate throughout the county.

He said the Department of Labor has funding available to hire laborers who could assist the county with its environmental projects.

The workers -- who would come off the unemployment rolls -- would be given intensive training in how to safely use chainsaws before they are put to work near stream beds.

At this point, Fickbohm said, he is developing a list of property owners who have downed trees interfering with the streams slicing through their land.

There would be no charge to landowners who want to participate in the program, he said.

"There will be some limits on what we can do because we're talking men with chainsaws -- and some trees will be just too big to tackle," he noted.

To help stem erosion of stream banks, trees will be planted to replace those that have toppled, he said.

Trees clogging streams can worsen the consequences of a flood, Fickbohm said.

Fickbohm said he could not immediately estimate how many state dollars could be available for the program. The sum will likely hinge on the number of landowners who step forward and say they need the service.

He said he plans to explain the project in detail to the Board of Representatives.

Soil and Water districts were created during the Dustbowl Era of the 1930s by then-President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who began his political career in 1910 by winning a New York state seat representing Dutchess County.

Roosevelt devised the idea of locally led soil conservation boards to help government agencies get input from landowners on ways to save soil and promote agriculture.

Landowners interested in learning more about the tree removal project may contact the Soil and Water District at 547-8337.

The workers would be hired by the state Department of Labor. Those jobs are expected to pay approximately $17 to $20 an hour, Fickbohm said.