LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Amid concerns over urban heatislands and turf removal across the valley, Channel 13 investigated reports of ash tree removal on Bonanza Road.
Turns out, the area is getting a landscaping makeover.
“I didn't like it at all. Ten years at least for the tree to get mature, and they cut down in five minutes," said Cindy Rogers, a resident of the area since 2010.
According to City of Las Vegas Urban Forester Brad Daseler, the non-functional turf was removed from the Bonanza medians between Valley View and Twin Lakes.
“The median that you’re talking about is going to be re-landscaped," Daseler said. “We're trying to grow and incorporate more desert species into our landscape, knowing that we're kind of moving in that hotter, drier, less water-use direction.
Daseler noted that the ash trees were removed not only because they struggled under last summer's heat but also due to root disruptions in sewer lines. In their place, drought-resistant trees and yuccas will be planted.
“People want trees in the city. They make cities more livable. They make them more beautiful," Daseler said.
The transformation is part of a city-wide effort to meet a 25-year planning goal of increasing tree canopy to fight urban heat islands.
WATCH | Geneva Zoltek further explains the Urban Heat Island Effect and what it means for our valley.
“We want to reach our 2050 goals, which are to increase our canopy coverage from one of the lowest in the American Southwest, less than 10%, up to about 15% and that's a tremendous increase in terms of shade," said City of Las Vegas Chief Sustainability Officer Marco Velotta.
City officials confirmed that the landscaping project will begin in the coming days, starting with the installation of new irrigation systems.
