Story County approves $70,000 contract to remove ~70 oaks at Hickory Grove to combat oak wilt

The Story County Board of Supervisors on Jan. 20 awarded a $70,000 contract to DJ's Complete Tree Service to remove roughly 70 mature oak trees at Hickory Grove after state conservation staff determined oak wilt is spreading in the park.

Ryan, a county staff member presenting the item, told the board that the Iowa DNR had been monitoring Hickory Grove for several years and that the disease is now spreading “through root grafting and beetles.” He said the county solicited bids from nine vendors and that DJ's Complete Tree Service submitted the lowest qualified quote. “We need to remove around 70 mature oak trees on the south side of the park around Oriole Ridge Lodge, and then dispose of any of those live remains off-site,” Ryan said.

Ryan said the county will pay for the work from its conservation reserve fund, and staff plan to replant affected areas with a more diverse mix of species to increase resilience. He added that the county has prepared public communications — a press release, newsletter article, a webinar and on-site signage — to explain the removals to park users.

During the meeting the presiding supervisor acknowledged public sensitivity. “It's sad,” the presiding supervisor said, adding that proactive removal is intended to prevent wider damage. No members of the public spoke against the contract during the meeting and no technical questions were raised after the presentation.

The board moved to approve the contract and completed a roll-call vote in favor. The contract award was authorized without recorded dissent. Work scheduling, tree disposal details and the replanting plan were described as next steps to be managed by county conservation staff.

The hearing record shows the county sought competitive quotes (nine vendors) and described the project scope as mitigation and later replanting; financing was specified as the conservation reserve fund. The board did not discuss alternate mitigation strategies or require additional environmental review during the public meeting.