Whitefish targets willow trees at Riverside Park for removal

The Whitefish Parks and Recreation Department is removing willow trees at Riverside Park this fall and replacing them with safer, more sustainable native tree species in the spring.  

To be removed are eight large golden willows, one clump of golden willows and one dead standing cottonwood tree around Riverside Pond.  

“Though the Parks and Recreation Department’s goal is to err on the side of tree preservation, we must first prioritize public safety,” a public notice about the project stated.  

The Parks and Recreation Department’s Urban Forestry Division maintains Whitefish’s urban forest, although many stakeholders weighed in on the project’s plan.  

“The plan to remove the trees was not taken lightly,” said Maria Butts, director of Parks, Recreation, and Community Services for the city of Whitefish. “The plan was evaluated by several staff, reviewed by consultants, and discussed with the Tree Advisory Committee, Park Board and City Council.” 

Golden willows are a non-native tree species with weak and brittle wood whose limbs grow outwards rather than upwards. By nature, their limbs are more prone to breakage by wind and ice and snow damage.  

In isolated locations, willow trees are not a concern, but willow trees near pathways, roads, and parking lots pose a hazard to anything and anyone beneath them.  

In their current location near the shared use path, they are a significant safety concern for park patrons.  

Further, their proximity to the storm water pond poses challenges for Public Works. The trees deposit debris into the pond adding to algae growth and blocking drainage. 

In addition to the safety concerns and challenges with the storm water pond, the willow trees are costly and difficult to effectively maintain. While all other public trees are pruned every three to five years, these willows require city staff to prune them each year. A November 2022 windstorm alone resulted in tree damage of more than $8,000.  

The plan is to retain the stumps of the removed willow trees for bank stabilization.  

In the winter, the pond will be dredged. Ideally, the pond sludge will be as frozen as possible for removal.  

The last time the pond was dredged was in 1995. Since that time, not only have the willows grown larger, but several more have grown through vegetative propagation from those few parent trees. 

New, native trees such as aspen, ponderosa pine and river birch will be planted in the place of the removed willows in the spring of 2025. 

At a City Council meeting on Oct. 7, councilors responded to a citizen’s letter concerned about stumps left in the water and possible beaver activity as a result.  

“We have seen beaver activity on golden willows near Riverside Park, Kay Beller Park, Roundhouse Landing and near The Duck Inn,” said City Manager Dana Smith. “Caging trees is what we often do to protect them from beaver activity and all of the new trees will be protected.”  

Further, “stumps in the Riverside Pond project will be treated to prevent them from suckering out. The project engineer is supportive of leaving the stumps for bank stabilization,” Smith said.  

Butts is also understanding of the community members who are fond of the trees and are concerned with the plan to remove them.  

“I am grateful that the community holds these values for our natural resources, and we share in those values as we continue to balance providing safe, natural spaces for our citizens to enjoy,” Butts said. “We are dedicated to the health of the urban forest, but we also must balance this effort with the safety of the community."