Missoula Debris Drop-Off Sites are Being Overwhelmed by Trees

Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) - On the Friday KGVO City Talk Program, Missoula City Public Works and Mobility Director Jeremy Keene told residents the main drop-off site at Garden City Compost is being overwhelmed at this time. 

“The volume at Garden City Compost is just really high right now, we did over a thousand drop-offs yesterday (Thursday) and traffic was backed up all the way to Reserve Street,” began Keene. “We’re asking folks that if it's really not critical to just hold off on bringing your yard debris to the compost site or to the drop site.” 

Garden City Compost is Being Overwhelmed with Tree Debris

Keene emphasized the extremely high amount of debris that has been taken to the main drop-off site. 

“There’s a really high volume right now, and we’re struggling to keep up with that,” he said. “If you can. Please wait a few days. If it's not blocking  a street or a sidewalk it's OK to just leave it there and we’ll have lots of opportunities to bring that material out to the drop site in the coming weeks.” 

Also in the studio was Morgan Valiant, Ecosystems Director for the City of Missoula, who provided more drop-off locations. 

Morgan Valiant provided More Droff Off Locations

“We do have some secondary drop-off sites throughout the community,” began Valiant. “We’ve got three out in the Fort Missoula area off of 36th street, the parking lot there at the ballfields in Fort Missoula Regional Park. We also have an 8 to 5 dump site on 40th Street out by Target Range School, just follow the signs out to Fort Ponds. We also have a dump site in Fort Missoula at Post Siding Road just southwest of Larchmont (Golf Course), and the also at the McCormick Park parking lot and the Playfair Park parking lot.” 

Valiant described the struggles the city has had attempting to help remove the downed trees throughout the city. 

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All the Drop-Off Sites are Filling up Fast

“We set these up and they filled up within hours,” he said. “It’s been quite a chore just keeping equipment going to transfer that material to Garden City Compost,” he said. “We’re just reiterating the message that Jeremy put out there to really just start with the essential clearing first and then recognize that we’re going to be picking up and collecting storm damage for quite a while.” 

Missoula County and City Public Works continue to prioritize debris pickup in public rights-of-way, including streets/roads, sidewalks, and alleys. Officials are working to set up public debris drop sites in Lolo, Frenchtown, and Seeley Lake.

The guests on City Talk emphasized the fact that the process of removing downed trees will continue for months to come.