Crane tree removal in Lemmon Valley, NV

Lemmon Valley's median home was built in 1979, and the USDA Forest Service rates its wildfire risk to homes higher than 99.2% of US communities. Old trees and high fire risk make dead trees near houses the removals to think about first.

At a glance

• Median home built in 1979; about 53% of homes predate 1980
• Wildfire risk to homes higher than 99.2% of US communities (USDA Forest Service)
• About 96% of homes are owner-occupied
• Crane holds each section before the cut

Why not just climb a dead tree?

Because dead wood does not behave like live wood. It is dry and brittle, limbs can snap under a climber's weight or a rope's load, and decay inside the trunk is hard to see from the ground. The more time a person spends tied into a dead tree, the more that matters.

With a crane, the load is carried by the machine. The climber attaches the line, makes one cut and the piece is gone. Fewer cuts, less time aloft, and nothing swinging toward the house.

How does fire risk fit in?

The Forest Service places about 45% of Lemmon Valley's buildings in the direct wildfire exposure class, meaning they sit next to wildland vegetation. Large fires have been mapped close by: the 2020 Poeville Road Fire (2,973 acres) and the 1999 Reservoir Fire (6,163 acres) were each centered about 3.7 miles from the community.

The University of Nevada, Reno Extension's Living With Fire guide describes three zones around a home: 0 to 5 feet, 5 to 30 feet and 30 to 100 feet. A dead tree inside the first two is a problem on two counts. It can fall on the house, and it can carry fire to it. Those are the trees to deal with first.

When is a crane not needed in Lemmon Valley?

Where a lot has open ground around the tree, a crew can often bring it down without a crane, and that is the simpler job. About 82% of the housing here is detached houses, and the Census counts about 1,900 housing units in the whole community, so space between buildings varies a lot from one street to the next. The arborist will tell you which case yours is. The crane is for the tree that leans over the roof, the shop, the well house or the neighbor's fence.

What does the crew need from me?

The crew needs a clear driveway, animals secured, a word about anything underground near the set-up spot, and your decision on the wood.

• A clear driveway and room for the crane and chip truck
• Animals secured and gates unlocked
• A word about anything underground near the set-up spot, such as a septic tank or leach field
• A decision on the wood: hauled away, or left for you to use

Outriggers put the crane's weight on a few points, so the team needs to know what is under them. Mention septic systems and buried lines at the estimate.

Are there permit rules?

Lemmon Valley is unincorporated. We found no Washoe County permit rule on record for removing a tree on private land. Ask the county if you want it confirmed for your parcel.