I would like to speak up on behalf of pulpwood loggers, an occupation which has come under attack in Fayette County recently. Although I work for FEMA, I must say these views are my own, and not a position of my employer.
My wife’s and my experiences with pulpwood loggers has been positive. In July 2005 a tornado from Tropical Storm Cindy passed through our neighborhood and downed a great number of trees (including four on our house) as well as several utility poles.
This same tornado continued on to the Atlanta Motor Speedway and caused extensive damage there as well. Merrydale Drive was completely blocked by downed trees and utility lines the following morning.
A number of local government agencies and private companies immediately reacted. Fayette County Emergency Services coordinated the Road Department clearing of trees on the road and the right-of-way; the Sheriff’s Office and Marshal’s Office provided traffic control; and the Coweta-Fayette EMC emergency crews, with Pike Electric support, began clearing downed lines and replacing damaged poles and transformers. In less than 24 hours the road was cleared and electricity service was restored.
Private citizens also responded, with Southern Baptist Disaster Assistance-related chainsaw operators, who helped cut and clear trees on private property.
Several of the chainsaw operators were our neighbors, who came and cut four trees that were actually leaning on our house, as well as the ones blocking the driveway.
On our lot alone, we had over 100 trees down, with a number that were dangerously leaning and had to be cut down for safety reasons.
As helpful as the county Emergency Services were, the county could not remove any debris on private property, only on the road right-of-way.
By the second day, a number of pulpwood logger representatives also arrived, and they offered to remove downed trees, as well as the damaged ones, at no cost. My wife said that they clearly explained that they would only take the tree trunks, and not the branches.
After the first day, my wife had to handle virtually all the recovery actions at our house, since I was ordered to report to the FEMA Regional Operations Center in Atlanta, where I was working a 12-hour shift to coordinate federal support to other areas that were also hard-hit by TS Cindy.
The logging crew that my wife worked with was polite and professional, and they caused no additional damage, especially to the driveway.
Yes, they left piles of branches behind, but those were a lot more manageable than the complete tree.
In the meantime, Captain Nelms with Emergency Services had executed a contract for debris removal from along the road right-of-way, which immensely helped in clearing space. Likewise, Lieutenant Scarborough, the fire marshal, was very helpful in approving burn permits to clear the piles of brush.
In short, the emergency response in Fayette County in the days that followed was a classic example of government agencies, private companies, and citizen volunteers cooperating to help in a disaster response.
There was a little irony to me hearing my wife talk with Captain Nelms about the Fayette County debris removal policy, since they were the ones actually making all the work happen.
We did have to hire a tree service a week later, as one large pine started leaning more and more toward the house after all the trees around it were gone.
But I would like to urge our Fayette County leadership not to pass ordinances that restrict the flexibility of landowners and people like the pulpwood loggers to remove trees, whether it’s during a disaster or not.
Ultimately, if the trees are removed by a logger or by a tree service, the landowner remains responsible for the appearance of his or her property. That flexibility will let the landowner find the most affordable way. Also, it was nice to know the trees were being recycled, not just wasted.
Michael Dolder
Fayetteville, Ga.
