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COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. -- The Colorado Springs Forestry Division announced they will be removing at least 100 trees downtown. Many of the trees that shade streets like Cascade Avenue and Fountain Boulevard will become mulch beginning June 21.

"We're going to begin by removing trees that are dead, dying and declining," City Forester Paul Smith said. "They are older trees. Most of them 90 to 100, some of them upwards of 120 years old."

The tree removal area is bordered by Fillmore Street on the north, Fountain Boulevard on the south, Wahsatch Avenue on the east and Cascade Avenue on the west. Several trees will be uprooted because they are dying of old age, but many are on their last limb due to lack of water.

"Through the last 8-9 years thre have been a lot of drought issues," Smith said. "Also, the water restrictions through the drought season and water restrictions because of budget constraints. Most of these trees spent most of their lives with adequate moisture and irregation, and the older trees don't adapt very well when you make that drastic change."

Smith said the $56,000 project is necessary because many trees have created a safety concern.

"They're getting to the point where they are becoming hazardous," Smith said. "Some pretty significant size limbs start to fall out of them. They are also vectors for disease when they get a lot of dead in them."

Curtis Cooke lives downtown and is pleased to see some of the old, hazardous trees cut down because they caused damage to his property.

"When we had that big wind storm awhile back, it blew off some limbs into the street," Cooke said. "The vehicles run over them and I got my first dent in my truck. My son also bought a new Grand Prix, and when parked underneath the tree, it fell right down into the center of his hood."

However, some think removing the trees would remove some of the city's character.

"We actually live up on the north end of town, and we drive down here at least once a week to see the trees," Colorado Springs resident Amanda Egan said. "It would be a shame to see them go. I would hate to see them go."

Smith agreed that it is painful to see the trees cut down.

"It hurts no one more than myself to cut down trees," he said. "Part of my job is to preserve and protect the urban forest as best we can. It is a difficult situation."

Not all is lost, however, as the city has plans to replace most of what is removed.

"We are going to plant more trees," Smith said. "We will plant those that, through our research, find are more tolerant of drought."

The city also has plans for the removed trees. Downed logs will be autioned off on the public surplus auction site, publicsurplus.com, with proceeds going into the city's tree planting fund. Other trees will be processed and put into the forestry's mulch bins. Mulch is free to the public and can be picked up at the Forestry Operations Center, 1601 Recreation Way.

Forestry crews plan to begin replanting new trees in July and August.