Ceres begins Tift Park cleanup

ALBANY — Ceres Environmental, which has a $10.6 million contract with the city of Albany to remove trees and debris from Jan. 2 and Jan. 22 storms, began conducting Phase I storm debris removal in nationally-registered Tift Park on Tuesday.

Phase I clean-up efforts in the park include debris removal, hanging limb removal and the cutting of trees with a greater than 30 percent lean, according to officials with the Minnesota-based company. Future phases will involve root ball removal and identifying trees that have greater than 50 percent of canopy loss.

Ceres officials told The Albany Herald the company is recognized internationally for its care in clearing debris from protected areas.

“There are certain precautions we take in historical areas like Tift Park,” Karl Dix, Ceres’ director of client services, said. “FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Agency) has certain expectations that slow the process down in protected areas, but the idea is to leave as small a footprint as possible on the area.”

For additional information on the Tift Park cleanup or on other Ceres activities, contact Assistant City Manager Phil Roberson at (229) 431-2842.