City Council recently voted to extend the mayor's disaster declaration from Winter Storm Mara through Dec. 31, 2023. Due to the extent of the damage from the recent ice storm, individuals and entities in Lakeway continue to file claims with FEMA and other organizations to recover losses incurred due to the ice storm. The extension will allow for those individuals and entities to fully evaluate and account for their losses.
However, now that the bulk of clean-up efforts are over, the pruning or cutting of oak trees are no longer allowed per the extended disaster declaration. Pruning or cutting of oaks is already not allowed by city ordinance from February through June due to the possible spread of oak wilt amongst our tree population. If a cut is made to an oak tree, it's advised to immediately paint the wound. CLICK HERE for more information about preventing the spread of oak wilt.
Additionally, removal of oak trees will only be allowed through May 3, 2023 for those trees that received extensive damage during the winter storm, and are determined by the City Forester or a certified arborist to be in need of removal. This includes trees that have:
- A split trunk
- Multiple broken forks that have resulted in the loss of most of the canopy
- A broken fork or trunk that has made the tree structurally unsound or exposed potential safety issues such as heart rot
If you have questions for our City Forester, please contact Richard Leon at: [email protected]
