The cost of storm-felled trees is increasing for the municipalities.
Barely a year after the big storm in November 2020, Umeå municipality is still working to deal with the effects of all fallen trees.
- We are extremely pressured, all resources have been used to clear up the storms, says Michael Holmström, park operations manager at Umeå municipality.
Fewer efforts in residential areas
Last year, the budget was exceeded by SEK 700,000.
And this year's budget is already strained.
- This year alone, forests have been blown out for almost SEK 300,000, now we must prioritize to keep costs down and hope that we do not experience more storms, says Michael Holmström.
Which actions are more specific that you are forced to prioritize away?
- There will be less clearing and thinning around our residential areas, cycle paths, the river and in nature areas, says Michael Holmström.
Saves more trees during new construction
Due to climate change, Michael Holmström believes that in the future municipalities will have to spend even more money on storm clearing.
For next year, Umeå has also received more investment funds for climate investments.
Are you doing anything to protect the trees in the city from severe storms?
- In new detailed plans, we try to get as wide and large contiguous forest areas as possible, this to avoid it blowing down large trees. And in our older areas, we are very restrictive when it comes to removing large trees.