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Orlando plans to replant fallen trees, but cleanup comes first

By Michael Loaprdi
By Michael Loaprdi
The city of Orlando hopes to eventually replant hundreds of trees that were damaged or fell down during Hurricane Irma.
The process may not begin for several weeks, as the city needs to focus on debris cleanup.
The city said the storm brought down more than 400 trees, but that’s just on public property.
“Trees are one of the most important things for the city,” said Orlando Sustainability Project manager Ian Jurgensen.
Photos: Orange County damage after Irma
The long-term plan is to replace as many trees as possible to restore the tree canopy.
“It takes time and there’s a variety of different places where those trees will have fallen from,” said Jurgensen. “On the private property, the city right away, city parks and other areas of the city.”
He said a similar plan was put into place after Hurricane Charley.
“From initial assessment, it’s not as bad as our storms in 2004, but there is a substantial amount of debris that needs to be cleaned up,” said Jurgensen. “Not only by city divisions, but also by people just cleaning out their back yards.”
The city has two programs offering free trees for residents, and will guide homeowners on where to plant them to avoid problems next time a big storm hits.
Read: Orange County mayor says Irma was 'Worse than Charley'
Some of the trees that fell were decades old, like the ones at Leu Gardens.
The damage there starts at the front gate and then spread throughout the 50-acre property.
The city said part of the gardens are closed until at least Oct. 1.
Fifty trees were uprooted, 150 were damaged and there is about 10 to 12 inches of debris throughout the gardens.
The historic Leu Gardens Museum is closed until further notice

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