Please forward this website to your neighbors, friends and family to gain support.
Continue to check-in on this website as we will post petition counts and updates to the campaign. We also anticipate scheduling a townhall meeting with RCKC and officials in the next few weeks.
This is a webpage for citizens within Kalamazoo County against the removal of an estimated 8,000 trees across 15 townships by the Road Commission of Kalamazoo County (RCKC).
You may have noticed an orange 'X' or red 'X' on trees along some of our roads (not all trees have been marked yet as this marking process is still ongoing by RCKC). Starting in October of 2026, these marked trees will be removed under the RCKC's proposed Safe Streets 4 All (SS4A) project. All trees within 33 feet of the centerline will be clear cut to create a "Clear Zone" along all designated roads within the SS4A project (see Map of SS4A).
While we believe this grant program will likely enhance the safety of our community roadways, we do not agree with the "Clear Zone Improvement" that would remove all trees. We believe that removal of all of the trees along rural roads will create an even greater road hazard in the winter where we have blowing snow which creates icy road conditions.
Residents have additional concerns about blanket tree removal such as the real risk that an out-of-control vehicle leaves the roadway and rather than hitting a tree, it passes through the ‘Clear Zone’ straight into a resident’s home or other residential buildings. Or, it passes through the proposed 'Clear Zone' into a resident’s tree just beyond it, negating the potential benefit of the “Clear Zone”. We have also heard from residents about the general concern of losing beautiful 50 or 100+ year old trees that can’t be replaced. Property owners who will lose trees are concerned about a potential decrease in their property values without any say.
We want to see a compromise made between RCKC and the citizens/residents whereby we only remove trees impeding visibility at intersections, as well as removing dead trees or dead limbs along roadsides… not clearing cutting them all.
Click on "Letter to Residents" to learn more about the SS4A project and our concerns.
Click on "Sign the Petition" to fill out an online petition to stop the clear cutting of our county roads.
Click on "RCKC SS4A Website" to be rerouted to the Road Commission's website containing general information about the SS4A project including their presentations (or copy/paste this address to your browser: www.kalamazoocountyroads.com/SS4A.php)