Cleanup continues at Forestvale Cemetery after windstorm

Staff at the Forestvale Cemetery north of Helena continues cleaning up trees that fell several months ago due to a powerful windstorm, causing heavy damage to some gravestones and other property.

Bob Richards, Forestvale supervisor, said at one time there were more than 30 trees down, mostly in 70-100-yard radius in the southeast portion of the grounds, and workers are now down to removing the last half-dozen or so trees. 

A November wind storm toppled trees in the Forestvale Cemetery causing some gravestones to over turn.

THOM BRIDGE, Independent Record

Richards said the damage was caused by a big windstorm in November and the county has spent nearly $16,000 in cleanup efforts so far at Forestvale.

Replacing the trees in the county-run cemetery will be put out to bid, with the replanting likely scheduled for fall, Richards said.

He said most of the trees destroyed were spruce, with a few of them cedar. He said most of them were from when the cemetery opened in 1890.

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