What happens to all those fallen trees in Sacramento storms?
SACRAMENTO — Each time winter storms pass over Sacramento, the work begins to collect all the fallen trees blown over by strong gusts and saturated ground.
Colin Fagan with the Sacramento Tree Foundation manages the Urban Wood Rescue program, and winter is their busiest time of year.
"We really want to push the idea that these shouldn't just go in the dump," he said.
Dozens of large redwoods, sycamores, oaks, and elms come in to their acre-sized storage lot in depot park each year.
"Urban Wood Rescue has been involved in making sure that those big historic trees have the right end to their legacy," Fagan said.
The fallen trees are milled into boards and lumber that are eventually sold to the public.
"At the end of a tree's life, they are still valuable to the community," Fagan said.
So where does all the urban wood end up?
A walnut tree was used to craft the countertops and sign at Oaxaca, a new Mexican cuisine restaurant in Oak Park.
"I think the counters give something really unique to the restaurant," said Mars Hernandez of Oaxaca restaurant. "I think it speaks to Sacramento's desire to have a really local community."
Other trees have been turned into a series of benches at The Sofia's B Street Theater and Matsui Park along the Sacramento River, with the wood grain giving each seat a distinctive look.
"What we're really excited about is working on projects where these can be in very public spaces," Fagan said.
All of the trees are donated to the Urban Wood Rescue program, making the lumber cost about the same as you'd get in a hardware store.
The Sacramento Tree Foundation hopes the wood is eventually crafted into something that leaves a lasting legacy long after the living tree is gone.
"When trees come down, they're still with us," Fagan said.
Fagan said the foundation also grows it's own trees on site to replace the ones that have fallen down and offers them to the public for free.
