Arbor Care Tree Service will return on Sunday, May 19 to complete the removal of hazardous trees on the hillside above Heritage Park, work that began earlier this month.

The tree removal, scheduled from about 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., will be noisy at times because of the use of chainsaws and wood-chippers.

The work is part of a project that aims to enhance public safety, stabilize this section of the hillside and improve wildlife habitat.

Once the trees are felled, a Department of Natural Resources correctional camp crew, consisting of 10 inmates, will remove invasive plants, such as English ivy. The plant removal is scheduled to begin May 28 and be completed by early June.

A Department of Natural Resources supervisor will oversee the crew. Only those inmates who have exemplary records of behavior while incarcerated and are near their release dates are eligible to work on these crews.

After the invasive weeds are removed, the crew will replant the area with more than 1,500 native plants. The native plants were chosen for their ability to stabilize fragile hillsides and provide habitat for birds and wildlife.

This $60,000 project is part of a multi-year effort by the state to monitor and manage the stability of the west Capitol Campus hillsides. There have been a couple of small slides in this area in the past. The Puget Sound area is among the most slide-prone regions in the U.S., according to U.S. Geological Survey, the federal agency that monitors natural hazards. This project won't guarantee there are no future slides, but it will reduce the risk.

The current project is scheduled to be finished by the end of June, although irrigation will continue throughout the summer.

Full restoration of natural conditions will require several years, but the results will be improved stability, habitat and aesthetics.

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