Sioux Falls · Dead tree removal
Dead Tree Removal in Sioux Falls
In Sioux Falls a dead tree usually means an ash killed by emerald ash borer. Removing one involves three local rules: who may do it, what time of year, and where the wood is allowed to go.
Call availability varies by area and time of day. Calls are answered by an independent tree service provider.
Can this ash come down now?
- Act now
The ash is dead or hazardous and could hit a house, garage, street or sidewalk
Yes, at any time of year. Wood must stay in the quarantine and go to an approved site.
- Plan it
The ash is infested but stable, and it is between Memorial Day and Labor Day
Wait for fall if it is safe to. Guidance is to avoid cutting and moving ash during the beetle flight season.
- This week
The ash is on the boulevard
Check with the city's forestry division first. The city has run its own boulevard ash removal program.
- Plan it
The ash is healthy and you plan to treat it
No removal needed. Keep treatments on schedule.
What waiting does to an ash
| Stage | Condition of the wood | How it is removed |
|---|---|---|
| Infested, crown mostly green | Sound | Climbed and rigged like any tree |
| Crown half dead | Upper limbs drying and brittle | Climbing with caution, or a lift |
| Dead one to two years | Limbs snap, bark splitting | Lift or crane. Climbers avoid tying in. |
| Dead three years or more | Trunk may fail at the base | Crane, or felled where there is room |
Ash dries and weakens faster than most hardwoods. This is the reason arborists urge removal before the tree is fully dead.
The removal, in order
Hire from the city's licensed arborist list
The license is required for tree removal businesses working in Sioux Falls.
Confirm the wood plan
Logs, branches and chips go to a disposal site inside the quarantine. Get this in writing.
Schedule for the cool months if possible
Labor Day to Memorial Day is the preferred window.
Decide on the stump
Grinding can be done the same day or later. It is a separate task.
Replant something else
The city publishes a list of recommended species.
Why the wood cannot simply be given away
Emerald ash borer spreads only a mile or two a year on its own. It crossed the continent in firewood. Larvae live under the bark of cut ash for a year or more, and adults emerge wherever the wood has been taken.
South Dakota's quarantine therefore prohibits moving ash logs, limbs and chips, and hardwood firewood of any kind, out of the regulated counties. Inside the quarantine, wood should still go to designated sites where it is chipped or processed.
You may keep wood from your own tree for use on your own property. Do not take it to a cabin or campground.
The rules in brief
Tree removal businesses in Sioux Falls must hold a city arborist license. The forestry division publishes the current list.
City and state guidance asks that ash not be pruned or moved from about Memorial Day through Labor Day. Hazardous trees are the exception.
The state quarantine restricts movement of ash material and hardwood firewood out of the affected counties.
What an ash removal depends on
- How dead it is
- The largest factor. A long-dead ash needs a lift or crane.
- Size and location
- Backyard trees behind fences and garages take longer than front-yard trees.
- Number of trees
- Many lots have two or three ash. Doing them together is more efficient.
- Timing
- Demand peaks in summer and after storms. Winter scheduling is often easier.
Sioux Falls ash removal questions
Do I have to remove an infested ash in Sioux Falls?
On private property the decision is yours unless the tree becomes a hazard to the public right-of-way, in which case the city can require action. A dead ash near a target should be removed for safety.
Why does the job get harder if I wait a year?
Because a dead ash cannot be climbed safely. The job shifts from ropes and a climber to a lift or crane.
Can I burn the ash wood at home?
Yes, on your own property within the quarantine. Do not transport it elsewhere.
Will the city remove the ash on my boulevard?
The city has removed boulevard ash under its emerald ash borer plan. Contact the forestry division for the current status of your street.
Dead Tree Removal help in Sioux Falls
Call to be connected with an independent tree company that works in Sioux Falls, SD.
(844) 955-1716Call availability varies by area and time of day
Limbwright is a referral service. Your call goes to an independent tree service company that sets its own schedule and terms. Ask for proof of insurance and a written scope before work starts. How this works
Call now
Talk to a tree service provider in your area. Have the tree's location and what it is near ready.
(844) 955-1716Call nowCall availability varies by area and time of day