Winnsboro was one of 46 local governments from across the state to be awarded a grant from the South Carolina Forestry Commission to pay for the removal of hazardous trees and canopy restoration.

The one-time funding is aimed at helping government bodies improve public safety by removing structurally unsound trees while simultaneously establishing the next generation of trees. For every tree taken down, the town has to replace it with a new one.

All of the trees have to be in public parks or in public right-of-ways and pose a danger to vehicles, roads and residents if the tree was to fall.

“Trees that are determined by a licensed arborist to be thriving will remain, trees that can be pruned to avoid a danger to the community will be pruned and trees that just can not be saved and is a danger to the community will be marked for removal,” said Town of Winnsboro Community Development/Grant Administrator Connie Shackelford.

An arborist from the South Carolina Forestry Commission will be in Winnsboro Monday to meet with members of the Tree Board to identify trees that fit the grant’s criteria.

To eliminate too many trees from being removed in one area, Shackelford said, the tree board is limiting the number of trees it will cut down.

“The Town of Winnsboro tree board has decided that only one tree per street will be removed,” Shackelford said.

Shackelford did not know when the first tree will be pruned or removed.

The South Carolina Forestry Commission distributed a total of $845,000 to grant winners. Winnsboro received $21,250.