Every storm is different, and the City response depends upon the storm severity. There are also far fewer public than private trees in Boulder. Therefore, for most storms, the city relies upon the adjacent property owner to dispose of the branches from both public and private trees.
If the city determines the storm wasn't severe enough to merit a citywide branch collection, then limbs on private property are the responsibility of our community members. If you have tree limbs that are less than 10 inches in diameter, please pull them out of or to the side of the Right of Way.
Bundled branches no more than 6 feet long and 3 inches in diameter can be placed into or next to curbside compost bins for pickup by your trash/compost hauling service. You can also take broken branches from your property to Western Disposal at 5880 Butte Mill Rd. Check out our Forestry FAQs for more information about fallen limbs.
In rare situations after a severe storm, the city may decide to conduct a citywide branch collection. If this decision is made, a news release will be sent out and information posted on the City website. Citywide clean-ups are quite expensive, and most debris collected from past storms has been from trees on private property.