The dead Arbutus trees along 8th Ave that we wrote about in May will be removed this week.

Starting tomorrow, SDOT Urban Forestry crews will be taking down approximately 40 dead trees that didn’t survive last winter’s harsh weather. Crews will be working from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.

The dead trees will not be tossed out, they’ll be put to good use. Nolan Rundquist, the City Arborist, tells us that the wood will be constructed into arbors, trellises and bird houses at the Childrens PlayGarden project at 23rd Ave S and S Grand S.

The trees along 8th will be replaced next spring. “In the interest of maintaining diversity in Seattle’s Urban Forest, SDOT will be selecting a different variety of tree for replacement,” Rundquist says. The new trees haven’t been selected yet.