'Going through with a fine-toothed comb': Project breathing new life into Washoe Park
Top: Mike Martelli rakes out vegetation underneath a tree at Washoe Park on Monday morning. Above: Heavy equipment loads up logs for removal from Washoe Park on Monday as part of the effort to remove hazardous trees from the park. Leader photos: James S. Rosien
Washoe Park is looking quite a bit different right now than it did just a couple weeks ago as the effort by Anaconda-Deer Lodge County and local logging companies to clear and remove dead and dying hazardous trees has gathered steam, but while the removal of so much overgrowth has left things looking comparatively emptier than they had before, that all will change come summertime.
"There will be good, rich soil that will grow vegetation and give it a really good appearance this summer," explained Mike Martelli, owner of Martelli Forestry – one of the three local companies along with Grosvold Logging & Excavating and KLM Contracting on the project – as he raked out the base of a tree on the park's west side on Monday.
"We're going through it with a fine-toothed comb. We went through and identified by hand everything to be removed. That's what we do," Martelli said. "We're making sure there's no loose ends here, so we're removing all the dead, hazardous trees and leaving just the regen so we won't have to go back in again. And to protect the root system, every one of these trees are cut by hand and physically removed to ensure a healthy plantation. We're going through and making it beautiful for our community's enjoyment."
The hazardous tree removal project came about via approximately $78,000 in funding ADLC received for a fire prevention grant, which ADLC Chief Executive Bill Everett explained would be best put to use doing fire mitigation at Washoe Park.
"The park looks phenomenal, all the contractors have done a great job and we're getting a lot of bang for our buck," Everett told the ADLC Commission at their meeting Tuesday night.
And it was well timed economically as well: Martelli, who has been in business since 2011, said his company hasn't had work since September.
"There's been no work, it's been tough, so we're very, very grateful that the county gave local contractors the work," Martelli said. "Our goal is to see how good a job we can do, and the proof is in the pudding. ... We want to provide them with a good product and do a good job to save the taxpayers' money."
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