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In the unfortunate circumstance that a storm damages the trees along the street or on your property, knowing who to call may help speed up the cleaning up process.

Who to call:

  • Street tree damaged:
    • A street tree is a tree located near the road, usually on the terrace between the sidewalk and the street. These trees are city-owned and maintained by the City of Madison.
      • Call Forestry (608) 266-4816 during work hours (7am - 3pm, Monday-Friday).
        • During after hours call the Dane County non-emergency number (608) 255-2345.
      • A Forestry Crew will be dispatched at no charge. This is the responsibility of the Forestry.
      • If a street tree causes damage to private property, residents can pursue a claim.
     
  • Private property tree that falls on to public spaces such as sidewalk or street:
          • Call Forestry (608) 266-4816 during work hours (7am - 3pm, Monday-Friday).
            • During after hours call the Dane County non-emergency number (608) 255-2345.
          • Forestry will clean up debris on the public space (street or sidewalk).
          • The property owner is responsible for the cleanup of the damage/tree on their own property.

           

  • Private tree on private property that is damaged and falls onto private property:
          • The property owner is responsible for the cleanup of the damage/tree on your own property.

           

  • Trees on power lines:

 

Brush clean up

Collection crews will pickup brush related to storm damage as part of the regular collection, in most instances.

Severe storms, such as tornadoes, may cause some changes to regular operations. Any adjustment to regular brush collection operations will be announced. In order to stay aware of any announcements concerning brush collection, sign up for email alerts from the Streets Division and be sure to follow the City of Madison on your social media accounts.

Forestry will also pickup brush that was created from the cleanup work on the street trees.

If you hire a contractor to remove or perform tree work on your private property, the contractor MUST remove all debris. The City Streets Division WILL NOT pick up that brush.

Stump Removal

Stumps from removed street trees will be ground out by Streets Division crews.

The process for safe stump removal is lengthy since underground utility lines location and depth must be confirmed. Plus, the act of grinding out a stump can take a long time. 

Expect to wait several weeks until a stump can be removed followed by re-filling the hole, spreading grass seed , and then covering the area with an erosion control matting.